It’s the 25th Anniversary Joey Ramone Birthday Bash!

This will be a very special show, I promise.

Anyone else going to the Joey Ramone Birthday Bash this year? I hope so! This year’s event looks pretty good: I think this will be a special treat for Joey Ramone fans. Yeah, I know there’s a west coast event that draws a lot of people because they hire big-name celebrities, but here in New York City, Mickey Leigh does his best to produce a show aimed at die-hard fans. So instead of John Travolta or some idiot Hollywood celeb? The Joey Ramone Birthday Bash, although smaller, will feature people who actually worked with the Ramones and have a connection to their history.

There is something about Big Anniversaries. I have to admit that I was caught off-guard when “The 20th Anniversary of Punk” was celebrated in 1996, much less “The Year That Punk Broke” in 1991. But this time, for some weird reason, “The 50th Anniversary of Punk” looks like it will become a big deal. So stay tuned for that, as you can see a lot of stuff is happening!

And it starts now!

Yeah, I am sure there are a bunch of “Negaive Nancys” and Communists out there who will probably complain that Dark Matter Coffee is somehow “ripping off” whatever is left of the original CBGB music scene, but 50 years let, I am grateful for local businesses that pay respect to the good old days of the East Village. And Dark Matter Coffee is doing a great job with that.

Dark Matter Coffee’s Joey Ramone Pre-Party:

Joey Ramone Cupcakes?

I wasn’t sure how the licensing deal with Dark Matter Coffee (whose New York City cafe opened several months ago at First Street and the Bowery) would work out, but it’s been surprisingly successful. I keep getting reports from people who love, love. Love the actual coffee in the bags, and love the bag design even more. You have to see it in person to believe it. They use a special production process that can’t be described the internet.

This is one of the best PUNK Magazine collectibles to be produced over the last several years: Most of them have =been produced in Japan (where they sell for big bucks), so this is a good opportunity to buy one in the USA.

On May 19, if you are in New York City for the Joey Ramone Birthday Bash (or if you don’t have a ticket and just want to hang out with rabid Joey Ramone fans), please stop by Adios Amigos @ One East First Street and the Bowery) around 3:00-7:00. It’s going to be a “Surprise Party,” since I still don’t know exactly what we will be doing, but believe me, I think you’ll enjoy it.

Something I learned about Dark Matter is that they are also award-winning chocolatiers: Their desserts are amazing! And they are planning a special “Joey Ramone Birthday Cupcake” for the Birthday Bash. So anyone who likes delicious desserts should attend. I am sure that the Joey Ramone Birthday Cakes will be delicious!

There will be even more free stuff and giveaways! At the opening event, they gave away a lot of desserts, as well as free tattoos and free Tarot Card readings. I’ll be giving away some free copies of PUNK back issues. I’ll be there is you want to get something signed (for free) of course. And there’s some original artwork and great photos by Miss Debra “Raffles” Trizzini (who has been involved with every Joey Ramone Birthday Bash since the very first event!) available for very reasonable prices. If I wanted to invest in art? I would think about buying some stuff at Dark Matter Coffee. I doubt you’ll see prices this low in a few years.

The Joey Ramone Birthday Bash

This year’s Bash arrives at an odd time: Monday night? Weird, right? But that’s why this year’s event is aimed at hardcore Joey/punk rock Fans. Tributes To Our Friends

I’ve been busy all week putting together slideshows for several “Friends of the Joey Ramone Birthday Bash” (which why my newsletter is going out so late this week). First and foremost is David Johansen, who appeared at a Bash with the reformed New York Dolls, when this year’s headliner Steve Conte was the lead guitarist.

Steve Conte: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Conte

I put together some short slideshows for tributes, to our close friends who have passed, which will include Clem Burke (Elvis Ramone), Mike Peters of The Alarm, and Jerry Adams (a good friend to Joey, as well as Peter Ashner, who works at the JRBB as stage manager every year, as well as Mitch “Bubbles” Keller.

Left to right: Peter Aschner, Mitch “Bubbles” Keller, and Jerry Adams.

They were all close to all of us who work the Birthday Bash, so this will be an emotional time for us.

I’m also looking forward to interviewing Matt Lolya and “Bubbles” (who often performed as The Pinhead onstage, and runs the Birthday Bash every year backstage).

I also look forward to seeing Labretta Suede make her JRBB debut: She’s my click to pick. She performed at the rainy day PUNK Magazine event last September and did an amazing set.

And deerfrance! Damn! She started working with PUNK Magazine back when we started up in January 1976! And has done cool stuff ever since. Love that gal!

The Joey Tribute

So if you are on the fence about whether to attend the JRBB this year or not, I encourage you to buy a ticket and take the expense off of your taxes as a charitable contribution. Just check out the poster, we put together a great line-up for the “Joey Tribute” this year.

SABU R.I.P.

Something many people don’t know about me is my history with the Extreme Championship Wrestling promotion, which existed from 1992 to 2001. I started watching their show on cable TV in the mid-1990s, and could barely believe my eyes! This was real punk rock: the wrestlers used punk and metal bands for their ring entrances, and if someone brought a musical instrument into the ring, it always ended up being slammed into someone’s head. Extreme Championship Wrestling was Clockwork Orange ultra-violence mixed with Three Stooges and punk rock.

To me? In 1996 ECW Wrestling was more punk rock than anything happening in the music scene at the time. It was more hardcore, more counter-culture and more dangerous to the mainstream than anything else.

The last article I wrote for High Times magazine was in the 1990s, about Rob Van Dam (RVD), who was a Tag Team partner with Sabu: They were not only one of the best tag teams I ever saw in my entire life, but RVD was the most committed activist for marijuana law reform back then (when people were afraid to support drug law reform).

I interviewed Sabu (whose uncle was The Original Sheik, one of the most insane wrestlers in professional wrestling history: There’s a film called I Like To Hurt People that chronicles his early career, which often included matches with Abdullah The Butcher, who also had an insane gimmick. You have to remember that back in the day, “The Sheik” represented the most evil character you could be: An Iranian wrestler! Dedicated to bringing down America! And so, “The Iron Sheik” in the World Wrestling Federation stole the gimmick in a watered-down version.

The last article I wrote for High Times magazine was in the 1990s, about Rob Van Dam (RVD), who was a Tag Team partner with Sabu: They were not only one of the best tag teams I ever saw in my entire life, but RVD was the most committed activist for marijuana law reform back then (when people were afraid to support drug law reform).

I interviewed Sabu at the “Bingo Hall” in Philadephia. His uncle was The Original Sheik, one of the most insane wrestlers in professional wrestling history: There’s a film called I Like To Hurt People that chronicles his early career, which often included matches with Abdullah The Butcher, who also had an insane gimmick.

What was interesting to me when I did the interview with Sabu back in the day was that he wanted the “Farouk” character to speak for him. The interview was an exercise in “kayfabe,”which is like pretending what isn’t actually real is actually happening.

The last article I wrote for High Times magazine was in the 1990s, about Rob Van Dam (RVD), who was a Tag Team partner with Sabu: They were not only one of the best tag teams I ever saw in my entire life, but RVD was the most committed activist for marijuana law reform back then (when people were afraid to support drug law reform).

I interviewed Sabu (whose uncle was The Original Sheik, one of the most insane wrestlers in professional wrestling history: There’s a film called I Like To Hurt People that chronicles his early career, which often included matches with Abdullah The Butcher, who also had an insane gimmick.

Okay, more info soon. Very soon. Sorry to be out of touch lately but April and May in New York City is always very busy.