| NERVOUS EATERS RETURN TO THEIR BOSTON PUNK ROOTS WITH “WHERE’S JOHNNY NOW,” VIA WICKED COOL RECORDS First single launches pre-orders for Eat or Be Eaten, arriving January 15, 2027 Stream/Pre-Order Here |
“The Nervous Eaters are considered one of the first and most influential Boston punk bands, forming in the late-’70s and fostering a new era of the city’s music scene.”-Vanyaland |
 |
| Boston punk rock ’n’ roll pioneers Nervous Eaters revisit their early days with “Where’s Johnny Now,” arriving digitally October 16, 2026, via Wicked Cool Records. The song is the first single from their forthcoming album, Eat or Be Eaten, due January 15, 2027, with album pre-orders opening alongside the single.Pre-order the album and stream the new single “Where’s Johnny Now” hereAlready part of the band’s live repertoire by 1979, “Where’s Johnny Now” connects the Nervous Eaters of today with the raw spirit of their original Boston punk attack. Its place in the band’s history makes it a fitting introduction to Eat or Be Eaten, a collection of newly recorded songs drawn from the Eaters’ catalog that brings their grit, swagger and punk energy back to the forefront.Behind the title is a concern that reaches beyond any particular scene or era: watching someone you care about slip away and hoping their friends can bring them back.“Everybody has a Johnny in their life, with any luck friends can pull them back into the Real World before he’s gone gone gone!,”says founding member Steve Cataldo.Led by singer, guitarist and songwriter Cataldo, Nervous Eaters emerged in 1976 and became a cornerstone of Boston’s early punk and rock ’n’ roll community. Their history is closely tied to the legendary Rat nightclub, whose owner, Jimmy Harold, managed the band at its debut. Drawing on Link Wray, Chicago blues and British guitar greats, the Eaters developed a sound that paired punk attitude with deep rock ’n’ roll roots.That foundation remains central to Eat or Be Eaten. The album also includes “C.A.L.F.L.A.,”released by Nervous Eaters in 2025, bringing a recent chapter of the band’s work into a collection rooted in its long history.Nearly five decades after “Where’s Johnny Now” first entered their sets, Nervous Eaters are bringing it forward again—and setting the tone for an album that reconnects with the sound and spirit that started it all: raw, loud, unapologetic Boston punk rock ’n’ roll.“Where’s Johnny Now” — out October 16, 2026 Eat or Be Eaten — out January 15, 2027 Wicked Cool RecordsFollow Nervous Eaters: Website |
“The Nervous Eaters have that eclectic Boston heritage. There never was a real ‘Boston sound,’ but with the Eaters, there’s some roots attached to it. I associate the Boston sound going back to the big ones: Barry and the Remains, The J. Geils Band and Aerosmith. You can see Steve Cataldo’s evolution from the punk world to post-punk. I can hear a bit of Bowie, Petty, The Kinks. They’re gonna make Boston proud again.” ~ Stevie Van Zandt“The Nervous Eaters were among the leading lights of Boston’s flourishing pop-punk scene in the late 1970s. Their resurrection album shows they’ve only enhanced their hooks, headlong acceleration, and gift for inspiring song. Play it loud and proud”. ~ Lenny Kaye |
