I first saw the South Bronx's ESG (formally known as Emerald, Sapphire and Gold) at Harrah in 1981; it was shortly after the release of their self-titled debut EP, which featured the tracks
"Moody" and
"UFO." They were playing with
Liquid Liquid, and together—along with Konk and a few other like-minded combos—the two served as the in-house dance bands of the No Wave scene. Needless to say, that date was pretty mindblowing, and my rearranged synapses still bear the marks of that night. The skeletal funk that the Scroggins sisters and friend Tito Libran played resonates to this day—making it all the sadder that, 30-plus years on, the band played its final Gotham gig last night at Le Poisson Rouge. A few out-of-town dates are on the way—but if you can't make those shows, these photos make a fitting adieu to the influential group. Ava Luna, which could be considered a modern, somewhat more extravagant take on a No Wave band, opened up the proceedings.