Rad Girlfriend Records

Durango ’87 captures a raw and candid moment in The Queers’ early history—a live radio broadcast from Boston’s WERS recorded in 1987 during the band’s formative Grow Up era. The session documents a short-lived lineup featuring Joe Queer on guitar and vocals, JJ Rassler on guitar, Hugh on drums and Evan Shore from Muck and the Mires on bass, rounding out the rhythm section. The record also includes remarkable bonus: a 7-inch EP of Grow Up-era recordings produced by the legendary Jimmy Miller—known for his work with The Rolling Stones and Motörhead. These tracks, long thought lost and never before released, reveal The Queers in the studio under the guidance of one of rock’s most storied producers, bridging raw punk energy with a classic rock sensibility. This performance on Durango ’87 finds The Queers tearing through early classics with the bratty humor and melodic punch that would later define them as one of pop punk’s most enduring names. The broadcast’s live, no-frills production captures the intensity of a band on the edge of breaking out. In addition to the radio session, the release includes a brief on-air interview with the band. The package is rounded out with new liner notes from Joe himself, reflecting on the lineup, the session, and the unpredictable early days of The Queers. Durango ’87 is a timecapsule —an essential document of The Queers’ scrappy early years and a rare glimpse into a fleeting lineup that helped shape the band’s early sound.
credits