Peking Spring

This, from 1979, is the earliest video of Mission of Burma I've found. As an early post-punk band, Burma set the stage for groups like Fugazi and Nirvana but was largely unknown outside of Boston. The band was formed by Roger Miller in 1979 and broke up in 1983. This corresponded to the years I was in the Air Force and stationed at Hanscom Field, a small research and development oriented airbase that sat unobtrusively between Concord and Lexington.

I was lucky enough to have a friend who got what they were doing. I fell in love. My first Burma show affected me like a handful of speed downed with a tumbler-full of scotch. I saw them a half-dozen times, and even spent a bittersweet evening at what was billed as their final concert at Boston's Hotel Bradford. I was sure I'd never love another band quite this much. Eventually, I moved on, but it was hard.