photos by Andrew St. Clair

Shonen Knife & CJ Ramone

For the encore [Shonen Knife] returned sporting leather jackets which would lead to their homage to the legendary Queens band [the Ramones]. From there we got seven song high-powered set of Ramones classics... Just before 'Scattergun' was delivered, the girls introduced their special guest C.J. Ramone, who joined them to sing the tune and remained with them for the final numbers. -[Piercingmetal via BraveWords]

Perky Japanese punks Shonen Knife celebrated both their 30th anniversary and the catalog of the Ramones with a special appearance by CJ Ramone at Bell House on Friday (11/18). In total they performed eight Ramones covers during their "Osaka Ramones" set. There are thirteen covers on their tribute CD with the same name. Tou can see the full Bell House setlist, along with more pictures and some videos from the show, below.

Shonen Knife have officially concluded their US tour with dates in upstate NY this past weekend (after Bell House). If you missed them, pick up a copy of their Christmas single to tide you through the holidays.

More stuff, including pictures of Hard Nips and Heavy Cream who opened the show, below...

Continue reading "Shonen Knife played the Bell House w/ Hard Nips, Heavy Cream & special guest CJ Ramone (pics, video, setlist)"

Joey Ramone's annual birthday party is happening at Irving Plaza on Wednesday, May 19th. The lineup has been announced and acts in attendance include Hank III, Ronnie Spector,Batusis (NY Dolls' Sylvain Sylvain and Cheetah Chrome of Rocket From the Tombs/Dead Boys), Sic F*ucks, ex-Voidoid Ivan Julian and The Independents, Heap. Tickets are on sale (the show is a benefit for lymphoma research).

Sylvain Sylvain also has a show coming up with the Dolls in Brooklyn in May. David Johansen plays a solo one in June.

Videos of those acts, the Ramones and Adam West's original Batusi are below...

Continue reading "Joey Ramone's 2010 birthday show lineup announced"

The annual Joey Ramone Birthday Bash at Irving Plaza is happening on May 19th. So far no artists have been announced for the festivities, but tickets are on sale. In related news, Joey Ramone could be heard rolling in his grave last night as Axl Rose performed a late night set in the former home of CBGB. Video of the Ramones playing there 33 years ago, below...

Continue reading "Joey Ramone Birthday Party returns to Irving Plaza in May"

DOWNLOAD: Living Things - Oxygen (MP3)

Dee Dee?? (Living Things @ Highline / more by Leia Jospe)

St. Louis garage rockers Living Things are about to appear as one of their hero bands, the Ramones in the now-filming The Runaways, the biopic about the groundbreaking 70's all-girl hard rock group led by Joan Jett. Kristen Stewart of Twilight fame plays Jett, with Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie and Academy Award-nominated actor Michael Shannon as the band's "Svengali" Kim Fowley...Living Things have already recorded a cover of "We're A Happy Family."

In addition to having a useful resemblance in attitude to the punk progenitors, the band has a direct line into the production - singer Lillian Berlin is the husband of the film's writer and director Floria Sigismondi.

That makes two Twilight actors with roles as rock stars in upcoming movies. Living Things' new record, Habeas Corpus came out earlier this year on Jive Records. A track from it is posted above.

In other movie news, the The Sun UK reports that "drug-guzzling shock-rocker" Marilyn Manson will be filming a musical, "Goth-inspired" version of Cinderella with Harry Potter's Emma Watson. 500 Days of Summer, starring She of She & Him, has an indie rock soundtrack that includes Feist, The Black Lips, and She & Him. Funny People, in addition to featuring characters wearing indie rock t-shirts, also has an indie-friendly soundtrack. Oh, and Patton Oswalt is a Big Fan.

A pic from the set of The Runaways movie, with Living Things tour dates, and some trailers, below...

Continue reading "a film about The Runaways starring Living Things as The Ramones + Marilyn Manson in Cinderella & other movie news"

"Joey Ramone (May 19, 1951 - April 15, 2001), born as Jeffrey Ross Hyman, was a vocalist and songwriter best known for his work in the punk rock group the Ramones. Joey Ramone's image, voice and tenure as frontman of the Ramones made him a countercultural icon." [Wikipedia]

Joey Ramone's 58th-birthday bash is tonight (May 19th) at Irving Plaza. Acts on the bill for that include Fishbone, Supersuckers, Death, Uncle Monk (with Tommy Ramone) the Friends Of Joey and more. Included among the Friends Of Joey will be Richie Ramone, Handsome Dick Manitoba, Jean Beauvoir and others. Tickets are still on sale.

The event will also be the unveiling of new tracks from the forthcoming posthumous Joey Ramone solo record. In other Joey Ramone news, the singer's induction award to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame was re-presented to his estate at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Annex in NYC, and accepted by Mickey Leigh and Tommy Ramone, on Thursday, May 14th, after mistakenly being left off the program in the original 2002 ceremony.

Coming up, Tommy Ramone and Handsome Dick Manitoba, who will be at the birthday bash, are speaking with Lenny Kaye (of the Patti Smith Group and more) and Chris Stein (of Blondie) at "LOUD FAST JEWS! A Summit with Four Jewish Fathers of Punk" on Thursday, June 11th at the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research (15 West 16th St). Tickets to that event are on sale. More info below.

Catch Chris Stein this summer with Blondie, as the band tours alone and with Pat Benatar and The Donnas. All three will play the tour's NYC stop, a free show on August 13th at Coney Island's Asher Levy Park.

Also coming to NYC is Gods and Monsters' 20th anniversary show, scheduled for NYC's Gramercy Theatre on June 11th. The band, helmed by guitarist Gary Lucas, will be joined by guests that include Lenny Kaye. Tickets are still on sale.

Uncle Monk, Tommy Ramone's indie-bluegrass band, has scattered shows in NYC and elsewhere coming up. The band plays June 10th at Banjo Jim's and June 21st at Local 269. More dates below.

Joey Ramone's B-Day bash poster, Loud Fast Jew info, and a video of the Ramones' initial induction ceremony, also below...

Continue reading "Joey Ramone would be 58 today, party in NYC tonight ++ other Ramones / Blondie / Manitoba / Kaye appearances "

Celebrating what would have been the 58th birthday of punk icon Joey Ramone, the annual Joey Ramone Birthday Bash will take place Tuesday, May 19th at The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza. Mickey Leigh, event organizer and brother of Joey Ramone, has announced that, as part of the 9th annual Bash, fans will be treated to a special advance sneak peek listen to rough mixes of never-before-heard Joey Ramone solo recordings. Various producers, including long-time Ramones producer Ed Stasium, are currently preparing tracks for a full album worth of material, slated for posthumous release at the end of the year.

This year's headliners are Fishbone and Supersuckers. The spectacular party will conclude with The Friends Of Joey featuring Richie Ramone, Handsome Dick Manitoba, Jean Beauvoir, Ivan Julian, George Tabb, Al Maddy and Mickey Leigh. Also appearing are Death and Rough Francis (both bands were the subject of a feature story in the New York Times on March 12), Uncle Monk (featuring Tommy Ramone), Bebe Buell, and Tom Clark & The High Action Boys. As the audience enters the venue they will once again be greeted by musician Tracy Thornton, playing Ramones songs on the steel drum. And, in what has become a Birthday Bash tradition, Sean O'Sullivan's Punk Pipers will round out the night on the bagpipes. The fete will be emceed by Matt Pinfield and Peter Aschner. Additional surprises are expected at the evening's events...Net proceeds from the Bash go to support the Joey Ramone Foundation for Lymphoma Research.

Tickets are on sale now. The annual event, organized by Joey's mom and brother, has been happening since 2001.

Videos from the 2008 party, below...

Continue reading "2009 Joey Ramone Birthday Bash lineup & new album info "

Memorabilia from some of punk rock's biggest acts and seminal moments -- including a scrawled flier for one of the Clash's first shows and publicity photos signed by the Sex Pistols -- is headed for a Nov. 24 Christie's auction.

The event, announced Tuesday, includes more than 120 records, photos and promotional pieces for such punk, garage rock and new wave legends as the Velvet Underground, Patti Smith, the Ramones, David Bowie, Blondie, the Cure and the Smiths.

The auction is Christie's first to focus on punk mementos, signaling the collectible status of a brash, anti-authoritarian rock movement that largely thumbed its nose at posterity.

"We understand that tastes change, tastes mature," said Christie's pop-culture chief Simeon Lipman. "Ten years ago, punk memorabilia probably wouldn't be something we'd be auctioning here. But now, people of a certain age have a certain ability to splurge on this material." [AP]

The pictured Television/Ramones flyer is one of the items. Look through everything HERE.

Richard Reinhardt (a.k.a Richie Beau, Richie Ramone) (born August 11, 1957) is an American drummer best known for his work with the punk rock group the Ramones.

Before working with the Ramones he drummed with Velveteen, and is also reported to have drummed with Annie Golden's band The Shirts. He joined the Ramones on February 13, 1983, at a show at Utica, New York, after second drummer Marky Ramone was fired. He took part in the Subterranean Jungle tour of 1983, where he signed autographs as "Richie Beau", which was the name he went under whilst drumming with Velveteen. [Wikipedia]

Richie recently lost a copyright infringement lawsuit against Wal-Mart, Apple, and Real Networks. Richie will NOT be appearing at the upcoming Joey Ramone birthday bash. Those who will are listed below....

Continue reading "Joey Ramone's 2008 birthday lineup, Richie Ramone's lawsuit "

"As you might know, we never post the line-up until it is set in stone, but here a few hints at some of the acts who will be performing this year:

A very charming band from NJ; a group from the Independent party; a re-united band from the LES who really know how to thread a needle; a formerly degenerate singer; a guitarist/singer who who co-created TV; and the lead singer (from one of Joey's all-time favorite girl groups) who was definitely the leader of her pack- you may also have seen her walking in the sand.
much more to come." [somewhere on JoeyRamone.com]

The annual Joey Ramone Birthday Bash happens at Irving Plaza in NYC on May 19th. Tickets are still available. (thx J)

the tenth in a series where we asked comedians to tell us what was good this year....

I first experienced Jon Glaser a really long time ago when he was hosting some show at UCB that had David Cross on the bill. At that point in my life, I'm pretty sure Cross was really the only reason I was there. Glaser came out as Dave Gordon, a man who has tiny hands. It was (and still is) one of the funniest things I had ever seen and I became an immediate fan and follower of Glaser. To me, he is by far the funniest, most unique character actor around, and I rarely see him play the same character twice. Favorites include Johnny Ding-Dong, Silent Fury, one of the Fuggedabuddies (w/ Jon Benjamin), bassist for A Matter of Trust, member of Gloucester-based band The Perfect Storm, and many, many others. A former member of The Second City and writer for Conan O'Brien, he can be heard as voice of DJ Jesus in the Adult Swim cartoon Lucy: The Daughter of the Devil. He also played Dr. Rawstein in Horse Apples on Wonder Showzen. He was in a pilot called Gay Robot that Nick Swardson wrote. Oh, and he's also 50% of Midnight Pajama Jam w/ Jon Benjamin. The list of credits could go on for miles. Here's Jon's take on what was good in 2007 - Klaus

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I have a 21 month old son. As a dad just tryin' to be cool by playing 'non-kid, cool' songs for his child, here are the "Top 10 Songs I Played For My Son In 2007 That I Am Glad He Seemed To Like", aka a pretentious list of my own musical taste that I forced on him. These are all old songs (except one), but were new to my son in 2007.

"Mr. Tough", Yo La Tengo - An early and continuous favorite. He was dancing to it in his bungee swing before he could walk, let alone dance, on his own.

"Blitzkrieg Bop", The Ramones - I didn't want to include this one because the image of kids dancing to The Ramones feels like a lame Huggies commercial (as opposed to a well done Huggies commercial, of which I think there are several). But I kept it in because the way he danced to it one of the first times he heard it was insane. He snapped his neck to the side so hard a couple times I thought he was going to break it.

"You're No Rock N' Roll Fun", Sleater-Kinney - He enjoyed watching himself in the mirror as he danced to this, and at one point yelled "Go!"

continued below.....

Continue reading "Best of 2007 by Jon Glaser"

A former schoolteacher with a degree from Columbia, Stein co-managed with Danny Fields a group of Forest Hills upstarts called the Ramones. Here Stein is pictured outside of CBGB in 1976 (fifth from the left) with (from l. to r.) Joey Ramone, Tommy Ramone, Iggy Pop, Seymour Stein, Dee Dee Ramone and Johnny Ramone.

Linda Stein was murdered in her apartment on Tuesday night....

Continue reading "Linda Stein, RIP (Ramones manager murdered)"