Some visions of the future never lose their scary, edgy, futuristic-ness, like Hugo Ball’s frenetic music/performance experiments in the ’20s or the stripped-down, confrontational synth-punk sounds made in the ’70s by Suicide and the Screamers. The Screamers, who I come here today to praise, had an odd lineup, especially for the time: two synths, drums, and one of the most fucked-up, confrontational performers you’ve ever seen.

Seattle transplant and drag/performance artist Tomata du Plenty (1948-200) was a mix of Andy Kaufman, Pee Wee Herman, and Darryl Hanna in Blade Runner. While it took Suicide seven years to release their debut, the Screamers (‘77-‘81) never even released an official 7”, which was weird as one of the members co-owned the legendary Dangerhouse label.

Finally officially released on DVD, Target’s much-bootlegged Live In San Francisco remains their sole legit release. The show is both a great historical document (spot punk royalty Penelope Houston and Jello in the crowd) and one of those rare music flicks you might watch over and over again. It’s short and brilliant—enough to make you want to burn all your electroclash records. Ohhhh wait, you probably did that already.

—DJ Yeti