Emerging two decades after the folk revival's height, the Washington Squares consciously evoked the earnest, politically charged ensembles typified by Peter, Paul & Mary. The New York City-based trio of Lauren Agnelli, Tom Goodkind, and Bruce Paskow adopted coordinated attire inspired by beat poets—striped shirts, black berets, and sunglasses—while Goodkind and Paskow also sported goatees. They revived traditional folk numbers alongside freshly composed material in the same energetic vein, delivering tight harmonies on anthems addressing social issues. Yet their timing in the Reagan-dominated early 1980s, a period lacking any parallel political current in mainstream music, combined with their retro presentation and comedic stage patter, left observers uncertain about the depth of their intent. In reality they approached the project earnestly, though filtered through a post-modern, ironic sensibility.
Goodkind conceived the project. A onetime New York University attendee who booked new-wave bands at the Peppermint Lounge and fronted his own rock outfit, U.S. Ape, he recruited fellow N.Y.U. alumnus and ex-Invaders guitarist Paskow, along with keyboardist Shauna Laurie and drummer Paul Richards. Laurie's departure prompted Goodkind to enlist Agnelli—previously of Nervus Rex and a onetime rock critic writing as Trixie A. Balm—shifting the ensemble's direction and prompting a name change. After prolonged discussion Goodkind and Paskow settled on what Goodkind termed "the Beatnik-folk mix." One obstacle remained. "We didn't know any folk songs," he admits. So, "I went to the store and picked up some Peter, Paul & Mary, Weavers, and Library of Congress stuff. We pooled our money, and I went down to the Library of Congress for research. Then I started to call everyone." Goodkind contacted veteran folksingers for guidance. As the group refined its sound the drummer's role shrank; Richards exited, succeeded by a series of percussionists until Billy Ficca joined as the trio's auxiliary bongo player.
By the mid-1980s the Washington Squares had ascended the New York club scene, their refined presentation also drawing notice from local television programs and national publications. Recording deals proved elusive, however. "No one knew what to do with us," Goodkind observes. Negotiations with A&M Records collapsed at the final stage, yet the band ultimately joined Danny Goldberg's fledgling Gold Castle Records, sharing the roster with established folk figures such as Joan Baez and Peter, Paul & Mary. Several producers were tried before Mitch Easter aligned with the group's vision. The resulting 1987 album, The Washington Squares, garnered positive notices and a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Folk Recording yet never appeared on national charts, though it registered on some alternative lists. The band nonetheless launched national tours, supporting the Beach Boys and Joan Jett, among others. A second album, Fair and Square, produced by Steve Soles, arrived in 1989. Each release reportedly exceeded 150,000 copies sold.
Extensive touring continued through the late 1980s and early 1990s. Gold Castle ceased operations, and illness struck Paskow. His passing ended the group. "I never felt the passion to do the band without him," Goodkind states. Fittingly, the Washington Squares delivered their last performance at Bottom Line in Greenwich Village on July 28, 1994. Agnelli has remained musically active since, contributing vocals to several Brave Combo albums and issuing the 1999 duo album Heaven & Earth with Dave Rave, among other projects. Goodkind withdrew from the industry, remarking, "I really felt that I had accomplished, via the Squares and the Peppermint Lounge, all that I would ever want in music." Razor & Tie issued the 1997 compilation From Greenwich Village, the Complete Washington Squares, encompassing every recording the group made.
