Tag Archives: the ramones

Today: “Hey! Ho! Let’s Go: Ramones & The Birth Of Punk” @ Queens Museum

ramones logo circle

Hey there readers, I’m here bright and early on a Sunday morning to let you all know that starting today at the Queens Museum will be an exhibit entitled “Hey, Ho, Let’s Go: Ramones & The Birth Of Punk”. Given its title I don’t actually think I need to explain what the exhibit entails but to make sure you are all on point I have embedded the entire press copy from the museum below. Check it out.

The Ramones in alley behind CBGB, 1977 (Danny Fields)
The Ramones in alley behind CBGB, 1977 (Danny Fields)

The Press Release:

“The Ramones all originate from Forest Hills and kids who grew up there either became musicians, degenerates or dentists. The Ramones are a little of each.” – Tommy Ramone, first press release.

Released in April 1976, the Ramones’ self-titled debut album introduced the world to four unsmiling hoods in ripped jeans and leather jackets, and to the uncompromising attitude known as punk. Ramones’ minimalist tunes, slapstick lyrics, buzzsaw guitars, and blitzkrieg tempo became the wellspring for a genre of music and a strain of culture.

On this first album’s 40th anniversary, the Queens Museum and the GRAMMY Museum are partnering to present an unprecedented two-part exhibition celebrating the lasting influence of punk rock progenitors the Ramones. Hey! Ho! Let’s Go: Ramones and the Birth of Punk. While the exhibition’s two parts will share many key objects drawn from more than 50 public and private collection across the world, each will explore the Ramones through a different lens: the Queens Museum iteration will begin with the Ramones’ roots in Queens and reveal their ascendancy in both music and visual culture, demonstrating their remarkable influence on music, fashion, fine art, comics, and film. The Grammy Museum version will contextualize the band in the larger pantheon of music history and pop culture.
Continue reading Today: “Hey! Ho! Let’s Go: Ramones & The Birth Of Punk” @ Queens Museum

PiercingMetal Goes To The “Dee Dee Ramone” Exhibit (12/28/2014)

Do you readers remember when I paid a visit to the Chelsea Hotel Storefront Gallery in order to share with you my findings during the “Blondie 40th Anniversary” Exhibit? If you answered “Yes” that is fantastic and if you said “No”, just click that title referenced and you can check out the piece. This time around would be a exhibition dedicated to the late great Dee Dee Ramone, bassist, founder and one of the primary songwriters of the legendary Ramones band. I got there earlier this afternoon and let my trusty Samsung do its thing so please enjoy this mostly photographic presentation.

dee dee ramone, dee dee ramone the exhibition, hotel chelsea storefront gallery

dee dee ramone, dee dee ramone the exhibition, hotel chelsea storefront gallery
Continue reading PiercingMetal Goes To The “Dee Dee Ramone” Exhibit (12/28/2014)

Hang Up The Leather; Tommy Ramone (Last Of The Original Ramones) Has Died (1/29/52-7/11/14)

Some sad news to wake up to on a Saturday morning, but it appears that the great Tommy Ramone, the last surviving original member of The Ramones has passed away. He was 65 years of age and was suffering from bile duct cancer.

Photo - Tommy Ramone

Born Erdelyi Tamas which was changed to Thomas Erdelyi, he came to Forest Hills Queens by way of Hungary and would meet John Cummings (who you all know as Johnny Ramone) in High School and they played together in your typical garage band before forming The Ramones with Joey and Dee Dee. Fans might find it interesting to learn that Tommy was not initially supposed to be the drummer but he kept better time than Joey and clearly Joey would be the better front man for the seminal Punk Rock group.
Continue reading Hang Up The Leather; Tommy Ramone (Last Of The Original Ramones) Has Died (1/29/52-7/11/14)

Posthumous Happy Birthday To Joey Ramone

band logos, ramones, ramones logo

Today is the birthday of Jeffrey Ross Hyman who the world most commonly knows as the Godfather of Punk – Joey Ramone.   Sadly the music world lost Joey after a lengthy battle with lymphoma back in April of 2001.  It was just a month and a couple of days shy of his 50th birthday.  Had he beaten the illness and managed to keep rocking with us, he would have been 60 years old today.  It is without question that The Ramones are one of the most important and influential bands that ever walked upon the Punk, Rock and even Metal scene when you consider just how many musicians were affected by their body of work.

Welcome to Joey Ramone Place

History shows how The Ramones as a band came into their prominence upon the new Punk Rock scene on the stages of the now shuttered C.B.G.B.’s club, but a couple of years after he passed away on November 30, 2003, East 2nd and Bowery was renamed “Joey Ramone Place” in his honor. It is said that both he and Dee Dee Ramone lived their during their early band years. I snapped the photo above while attending a Metal show at the Bowery Electric club which is located right there.

The music world will likely never see another band like The Ramones, and at this time in music history only found drummer Tommy Ramone and his replacement Marky Ramone from the bands seminal lineup remain with us. We truly miss all of them and thank them for their contributions. Learn more about Joey Ramone with his Wikipedia entry HERE.

Congratulations to The Ramones On Receiving of The Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award

As a Heavy Metal music fan for more years than I care to disclose I can quickly tell you of how unimportant the Grammy Awards have been to me when it comes to my favorite genre.  They are for the most part clueless in terms of what they are voting on and who ends up winning (the historic Metallica loss to Jethro Tull coming to mind) but since that ill-fated event, the category of “Best Heavy Metal Performance” has been given out and usually hits the mark properly.   They also have a Lifetime Achievement award which was this year given to the legendary New York Punkers – The Ramones.  I had to admit that I was surprised about this based on their original misunderstanding about Metal.  I mean, if they didn’t know that stuff how could they ever recognize Punk Rock.  Still, they did recognize it and gave the award to the band so kudos on that honor.  The photos below come from the front window display of the Guitar Center on 14th Street in Manhattan.  I couldn’t resist trying to share them with the worldwide readership as I passed them by.   I admit that I was glad to find the center offering up their own honor by showcasing some of their historic stuff. Continue reading Congratulations to The Ramones On Receiving of The Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award