- The 2008 Joey Ramone Birthday Bash in its 8th Year – Part 1
The Ramones – I wanna be Sedated
(Read more About the Ramones) (Read the Ramones Birthday Bash Part 2) - 
Another sold-out crowd celebrated what would have been Joey Ramone’s 57th birthday, as the annual Joey Ramone Birthday Bash continued for its eighth year at New York’s Irving Plaza. Ramones fans from all over the world, as well as those from Joey’s native Queens, packed the venue and sang along with video of classic performances like “I Wanna Be Sedated” and “Rockaway Beach”. It was just a warm-up for an evening that still promised Mary Weiss – Joey’s idol and original member of the Shangri-La’s – a Dictators reunion, and an touching set from Joey’s brother, Mickey Leigh.
New York punks Charm School gave the night a kick start with their short, blistering set. Their cover of “I Just Wanna Have Something to Do” had the entire crowd chanting along, throwing their fists up to the “Wait! Now!” chorus in unity. L.E.S Stitches, another favorite on the scene, brought no frills – their straightforward 1970s-style punk recalls the Ramones during their “Rocket to Russia” period. Local H launched into yet another Ramones cover as singer Scott Lucas comically introduced “I Just Wanna Have Something to Do”: “Charm School beat us to it but we’re gonna do it our way!”
Glam rockers Semi-Precious Weapons got a huge response, with lead singer Justin Tranter channeling Ziggy Stardust with his platform boots and a chubby fur coat. Tranter prowled the stage, both cheetah and Iggy-like, snarling and spitting at the crowd while striking pose after gorgeous pose. SPW’s single, “Magnetic Baby”, was a blast, and with a chorus of “it’s not my fault that I look better in her party dress!”, the guys definitely played the part. Another set of Ramones covers came from Joey’s close friends, The Independents. Joey managed the band in New York, and was constantly promoting them through his “Joey Ramone Presents” concerts in the city.
As part of Television, guitarist Richard Lloyd was responsible for ushering in a cerebral blend of art and punk rock. Television were one of the first bands to play CBGBs, and pre-dated most recognized punk bands by a couple of years. Having shared bills with Patti Smith, and coming up at the time of Suicide, Television influenced the Talking Heads, Blondie, and Dee Dee Ramone, who recalled seeing Tom Verlaine sing “Venus de Milo” to a sparse crowd when CBGBs first opened. The crowd was much, much larger but the sense of intimacy translated with Lloyd’s new band, Smufty Dogs.
Fans were also treated to footage of Joey giving interviews and rare live performances. Lines formed in the halls for merchandise and raffles, and to sign a huge poster of Joey, courtesy of Hurley, which is debuting its Joey Ramone surf collection this summer. A rotating cutout of Joey, in board shorts holding a surfboard, circled close by.
After much anticipation, former MTV VJ and the evening’s MC, Matt Pinfield introduced Manitoba’s Wild Kingdom, whose set concluded with a rapturous version of “Search and Destroy”. This was the reunion everyone had waited for: JP Thunderbolt, Ross The Boss, Andy Shernoff (quite possibly the tallest punk rocker next to Joey himself), and original loudmouth front man Handsome Dick Manitoba. This lineup brought the Dictators together with the trashy class of their 1975 debut, “Dictators Go Girl Crazy”. With its fast cars, cold beer, and hot girls glory, and a specific photo of the guys in black leather jackets at a White Castle, that album sparked the fires in John Holmstrom and Legs McNeil, who started PUNK magazine shortly thereafter.
(Read the Ramones Birthday Bash Part 2)
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