UNCLE MONK

The last surviving founding member of the Ramones Tommy Ramone plays bluegrass with Claudia Tienan of the Simplistics. They call themselves Uncle Monk.

The Continental changed their mind about Murphy's Law playing the last show ever at the club. Tickets are now on sale for THE REAL LAST SHOW ("this is it!") on September 17. 2006. Its "a full Ramones set" by Ramones producer Daniel Rey, Ramones bassist (1989-1996) CJ Ramone, Radio host and lead singer of the The Dictators Handsome Dick Manitoba (also own's Manitoba's bar), Walter Lure (Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers), and Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith group). No Tommy Ramone at this one, but then again it does say "special guests". (thx Klaus)

The lineup for the night of September 17th at CBGB has yet to be announced, but speaking of Lenny Kaye - he'll be the special guest at CBGB's Gallery on September 8th. He goes on at 10pm after Carla Rhodes. Mad Juana are on at midnight.

Previously
Trigger Presents: last 3 shows @ Continental - On Sale
Lenny Kaye | You Call it Madness | Mo Pitkens
Lee "Scratch" Perry playing CBGB | tix
Reagan Youth also playing George Tabb benefit @ CBGB's Lounge
The final CBGB (downstairs lounge) Lineup
Reagan Youth playing CBGB with Agent Orange | tix
Hatebreed playing CBGB | free ticket with CD
Fishbone playing CBGB | 2006 Tour Dates

Joey Ramone's birthday is Friday May 19, 2006. The official NYC event is the annual benefit show at Irving Plaza that features the strokes and not all of DKT. Its sold out, but tickets shouldn't be too hard to come by.

IRVING PLAZA BENEFIT

* click flyer for bigger version

HUNGRY MARCH BAND PUNK PILGRIMAGE
Also on May 19, "New York City's only punk brass band' the Hungry March Band will celebrate what they're calling St.Joey's Day with an 'all-night orgy of devotional fervor.' The ensemble's plans include a 'punk pilgrimage' of sorts, marching from the Rock-n-Roll High School in Forest Hills where the Ramones attended school, through Queens and other 'sacred spots' to Tompkins Square Park." Find out more info and how to attend at Punk News or Hungry March Band's site.

AFTERWARDS @ CBGB GALLERY
FRIDAY, MAY 19TH---8pm $10 / $5 with Food, HUNGRY MARCH BAND Presents
THE FEAST OF ST. JOEY - Birthday Tribute To JOEY RAMONE
All-Ramones OPEN MIC --Plus Potluck Dinner
and "featuring a DIY Ramones cover band open mike, the all-woman band DEVA, and other bands still under top-secret wraps"

AND ON THURSDAY, MAY 18
DJ Mike C. spins rock & roll gold - a Ramones tribute
10 p.m. till late at MANITOBA'S
99 Avenue B (at 7th St.), NYC

Anything else going on? Add 'em in the comments.

Last summer MC5 reunited and played some shows in NYC. Since then DKT (MC5 minus members) continue to play. They were scheduled to headline Northsix again on May 18, 2006. They were also taking part in the Joey Ramone Birthday Bash at Irving Plaza the next day. That was until Michael Davis got in a motorcycle crash. He hit a muffler in the road.

Wayne Kramer is still taking part in the Ramones thing. He's also playing some solo shows including one at Joe's Pub....

WAYNE SOLO DATES - 2006
May 20 - Joe's Pub, New York, NY (solo acoustic)
May 21 - Dave Marsh's Sirius Radio Show, 11am.
June 23 - Farmers Market, Los Angeles, CA (free, 7PM w/ band)
June 29 - Magic Stick, Detroit, MI
Sept 1 - Farmers Market, Los Angeles, CA (free, 7PM w/ band)

DOWNLOAD: Great Big Amp (Wayne Kramer solo MP3)

CBGB owner Hilly Kristal, Steven Van Zandt, & Tommy Ramone

According to phillyBurbs.com, "here are the top five bands to come from the CBGB scene:"
5. Dead Boys
4. Patti Smith
3. Talking Heads/Blondie (a tie)
2. Television
1. Ramones

Ted Leo @ CBGB

Top photo, and middle picture of Anton from Brian Jonestown Massacre, from PhillyBurbs.com where there are more like it. Photo of Ted Leo from the Real Janelle. All of them were taken Monday August 1st, 2005 at the opening night of CBGB benefit shows.

Previously
Air America Live from CBGB w/ Hilly Kristal, Van Zandt & Locksley
CBGB Day 1 & Washington Square Park on the 31st
Brian Jonestown Massacre in NYC & Stream

Though "CBGB and OMFUG : Thirty Years from the Home of Underground Rock" doesn't actually come out until July 1st, I've already seen it on the shelf at both Barnes & Noble and Virgin. It's full of really great CBGB photos, old and new. Everyone from the Ramones to Har Mar Superstar are featured inside. There's an afterward written by David Byrne and an intro by owner Hilly Kristal.

Previously
Best thing about CBGB Closing | Concerts!
David Byrne @ Central Park Summerstage, NYC | Pics

LISA MARIE PRESLEY & MARKY RAMONE

Lisa Marie Presley gave a free J&R Music World sponsored performance @ 5 PM today (May 19th, 2005) @ City Hall Park in NYC. After the show she signed her new CD at the J&R right next door. The whole thing had to do with Shop 4 Class, an organization that raises money to buy books for New York City schools. I was surprised at the respectably long 45 minute set Lisa played.

A FAN

In honor of Joey Ramone's birthday (also today), Marky Ramone (here's an interview) played drums with the Lisa Marie & band for the last song: a cover of the Ramones' "Here Today Gone Tomorrow." According to Marky, Johnny's (or was it Joey's?) wife was in the audience. I assume Lisa will be joining them at Irving Plaza tonight for Joey's (RIP) official birthday party.

LISA ROCKS CITY HALL

Continue reading "Lisa Marie Presley & Marky Ramone @ City Hall, NYC | Pics"

J&R Music World advertises it this way....

"SHOP 4 CLASS KICKOFF CONCERT | THURSDAY MAY 19, 5 PM
Free Live Performance by Lisa Marie Presley in NYC City Hall Park
Followed by an Autograph Signing at the J&R Pop Store

Blabbermouth adds...

"Former RAMONES drummer Marky Ramone will be performing with Lisa Marie Presley in the park at the City Hall in New York City on Thursday (May 19) at 5 p.m. They will be playing the RAMONES song "Here Today Gone Tommorrow". Then from there, Marky will do "The Blank Generation" with former bandmate/guitar player Ivan Julian, and "Love Comes in Spurts" from the punk album the "The Blank Generation". Also scheduled to be performed: "My Baby, Baby I Love You", "She Talks to Rainbows", and a JOHNNY THUNDERS song, "Can't Put Your Arms around a Memory""

I just saw Lisa Marie at the Supper Club
Joey Ramone's Birthday Party @ Irving Plaza is Thursday too.
Lisa Marie was at Johnny Ramone's Funeral

Three days ago I posted an article that reported CBGB was definitely closing. Today I found out there's an organization working to Save CBGB.

Project Save CBGB & OMFUG is "the official Project Save CBGB site based in New York City." (as seen in the NY Post and on Stereogum yesterday)

According to a press release on the site, "Jonathan Demme, Patti Smith and Lenny Kaye, Deborah Harry of Blondie, Juliette Lewis, Cyndi Lauper, Tommy Ramone, Charlotte Lesher (mother of the late Joey Ramone), Arturo Vega (artistic director for the Ramones), Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads, Richard Lloyd of Television, Little Steven, Legs McNeill, Richard Hell, Fab 5 Freddy, Seymour Stein of Sire Records, Cheetah Chrome of the Dead Boys, Bob Gruen, the Bullys, Richard H.D. Manitoba, Dennis McNamara, Daniel Wolff, John Holstrom of Punk Magazine, John Foxworthy of Garage Radio, cultural sociologist Dr. Donna Gaines, Rockefeller University Professor Dr. Sanford Simon, an entrepreneur and survivor of spina bifida, and a teacher in Honol" are all working to save CBGB.

Part of the plan is to give CBGB landmark status.

What Does Joey Ramone's mother say?

Supporter Juliette Lewis is on tour with the Licks. Tickets are on sale for their May 28th show at Bowery Ballroom in NYC. I was at their last NYC show.

Supporter Fab 5 Freddy makes an appearance at The Brooklyn Museum tonight (May 7th)

Supporter Deborah Harry recently made an appearance with Kelly Osbourne at Charm School.

Life of Agony are playing CBGB in June.

Despite these efforts, CBGB still might move to Vegas.

metro, the free NYC paper that accidentally declared WinneroftheSAT the blog of the day recently, reported today that CBGB is considering a move to Vegas.

"'Las Vegas here I come,' said Hilly Kristal, the club's owner and manager, if he can't save the club"

Kristal also said that the rumors about Mark Cuban saving the club are not true. "'He wants to help out, maybe have a big project on television,' Kristal said."

New Yorkers can pick up a copy of metro for the rest of the story, but everyone can read an interesting article in the Trentonian...

"The rock club? Disgusting. There were roaches in the ice cooler, and people routinely had sex under the tables. I never used the bathroom in the rock club, and would run next door when I had to."

CBGB’s closing would be no big loss

Previously

CBGB Update | The Ramones Obviously Not Playing a Benefit

The fight for CBGB continues. Tiny Mix Tapes reported today...

"The birthplace of the Ramones, Blondie, Television, and Sick of It All has, perhaps surprisingly, fans and friends in high places. In addition to a number of as-yet unnamed bands that have expressed interest in a benefit, some wealthy benefactors, including billionaire Mark Cuban, who owns the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, have offered to help the club."

The rest of the story at Tiny Mix Tapes.

Read a letter from the owner of CBGB

Buy CBGB stuff

Tickets are on sale for Blues Explosion, Adema, and TSOL at CBGB.

Check out CBGB's Ramones Shrine

Newsday talks about the new Ramones documentary DVD

Johnny Ramone's movie poster collection was put on the auction block.

The New York Press says let CBGB close.

Previously

Johnny Ramone

Luna, Fez, Tonic, AND CBGB

Pics of Magneta Lane @ CBGB downstairs

Punk Rock Action Figures

Linda Ramone, the widow of the late punk guitarist Johnny Ramone, poses next to a statue in his likeness, after unveiling it during a ceremony at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, California, January 14, 2005. Lisa Marie Presley , Eddie Vedder , Rob Zombie, Nicolas Cage and Pete Yorn were among the notable friends in attendance. Johnny Ramone, co-founder and guitarist of seminal 70's punk rock band The Ramones, died on September 15, 2004 at his home in Los Angeles. REUTERS/Jim Ruymen

Johnny Ramone Gets Statue at L.A. Cemetery

Did anyone go to the Ramones benefit concert at Spirit on Saturday night? How was it?

NME reports that..

'The event featured performances by The Strokes, Blondie, and Sonic Youth, and guest appearances by Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age and Joan Jett among others.

Rock-loving celebrities like Sean Lennon, Vincent Gallo and Drew Barrymore also came out to honour the Ramones’ legacy and to support the cause.'

Links:

Pictures @ Rock Star Diary

NME: STROKES PLAY FOR THE RAMONES

Be Well - The Ramones Beat on Cancer

Here are the details for the Ramones benefit concert you've been reading about...

Blondie, The Strokes, Sonic Youth, CJ and Tommy Ramone, Daniel Rey, Andrew WK and special guests to appear at benefit concert at New York Nightclub Spirit - Friday October 8th (doors 6PM).

Location:
Spirit New York
530 W. 27th Street
New York, NY 10001

Tickets are $50 (before the ticketmaster service charge) (but it's for a good cause with lots of headliners).

The biggest problem is deciding whether you want to go to this, or Rilo Kiley at Bowery Ballroom or Explosions in the Sky at Mercury Lounge or The Mountain Goats & John Vanderslice at Knitting Factory.

Also, I'm a little leary about the whole nightblub as a concert venue thing. Spirit holds 2000 people. Anyone been to a show there?

Of all the Ramones, Johnny meant the most to me. My father used to sell comic books & horror/sci-fi stuff. Johnny was a collector. Growing up I used to see him all the time. He was always super friendly and had no problem taking time out to pose for a picture or two.

RIP Johnny

Link:
Ramones Official Site