First Ramones Exhibition Takes Punk to Queens Roots
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L i f e s t y l e FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 2016 The Ramones image is on display during a press preview. Johnny Ramones and Marky Ramones jackets and jeans are The Ramones items are on display during a press preview at on display during a press preview. the Queens Museum. First Ramones exhibition takes punk to Queens roots efore The Ramones became international worker. “You have that whole crowd going back Democrat. The Ramones all took the surname, ini- icons, the band’s first press release in 1975 and saying that The Ramones are really cool-look- tially a reference to a pseudonym under which Paul Bintroduced the punk rockers to the world as ing,” she told AFP. “It wasn’t a fashion statement; McCartney would check into hotels, but they were working-class men from Queens. Youngsters from that’s just how they looked,” she said. “The ripped not related. the New York borough’s neighborhood of Forest jeans started because their jeans would wear out Hills “either become musicians, degenerates or and they would rip.” Global fan base dentists. The Ramones are a little of each,” it The Ramones’ influence was felt not just in informed. The Ramones of course went on to Historic London concert Britain. The exhibition shows pictures from CBGB- become musicians. But a first-ever museum exhibi- One section of the exhibition explores a historic the legendary club on Manhattan’s then-seedy tion on the band also shows other sides of the concert-The Ramones’ international debut at The Bowery where the band made its name-as well as musicians surrounded by the debauchery of the Roundhouse in London on July 4, 1976. The posters from shows around the world. Linda rock world, but who managed to keep a surprising Ramones-playing, incidentally, on the bicentennial Ramone recalled that The Ramones for some time amount of the straight-laced work ethic they of the US Declaration of Independence-were the enjoyed a wider audience in Europe and said that, learned in Queens. opening act but had a massive impact, with bands more than 20 years after their final album, the The tongue-in-cheek press release starts off the such as The Clash and Sex Pistols later citing the band’s following may be strongest in Latin exhibition, which opened Sunday at the Queens show as an inspiration as they witnessed the do-it- America. Museum and heads in September to the Grammy yourself vigor of punk. Yet the punk scene that Japan was also a major fan base. One highlight Museum in Los Angeles. The Ramones, whose orig- would soon shake Britain came with a political of the exhibition is a specially designed piece by inal members are all dead, pioneered punk rock edge, with the Sex Pistols sneering at the royal fam- punk-inspired Japanese pop artist Yoshitomo Nara with its rough, distorted and intensely direct energy ily and The Clash taking the mantle of global libera- of Ramona, the wide-eyed girl who appears in that came in spite of-or because of-the absence of tion movements. much of his work, with the motto “Hey! Ho! Let’s formal musical training. The exhibition brings “They were up in rage against the queen. The Go!” Marc Miller, who curated the exhibition, said together memorabilia ranging from the Mosrite president of the United States didn’t know who The that The Ramones were “a collection of contradic- guitars that Johnny and Dee Dee Ramone would Ramones were,” Linda Ramone said. “I don’t think tions.” play low-slung to action photos of the band who they were really worried that The Ramones were “On one hand, they are great complainers; on kept the self-discipline to play 2,263 concerts over going to take over,” she said. While US punk later the other hand, they have these chants of uplifting 22 years. turned political, The Ramones were best known for phrases,” he said. “On one hand, they are a bunch Also on display are the rockers’ clothes. The lines such as “I Wanna Be Sedated”-a response to of out-of-control punks; on the other hand, it was Ramones’ uniform of leather jackets and ripped boredom on the road-and “Hey! Ho! Let’s Go!” from really an art enterprise.” Linda Ramone said that jeans-along with T-shirts bearing the band’s logo “Blitzkrieg Bop.” Linda Ramone said the band felt while the rockers had to leave Queens to make designed by Arturo Vega-has emerged as an inter- they would alienate listeners by discussing politics. their name, they would be pleased by the exhibi- national punk fashion symbol. Linda Ramone, the Johnny, who Linda said was a careful saver, sur- tion. “They’re not here, but they’re looking down widow of guitarist Johnny who now works to pre- prised many fans when he later came out as a and they’re saying it’s pretty cool to have some- Linda Ramone, the widow of guitarist serve the band’s legacy, said that his attire had a Republican. Singer Joey Ramone, who had an often thing open in Queens,” she said. — AFP Johnny Ramone, poses for a picture during more basic reason-he was initially a construction tense relationship with Johnny, was a liberal an interview in New York City. — AFP photos Review Sturgill Simpson defies categorization with ‘Sailor’ turgill Simpson defies categorization, and exceeds The record’s final tune, “Call to Arms,” is just what it sounds expectations, with “A Sailor’s Guide to Earth,” an explo- like. Simpson decries what he’s hearing on TV and radio, and Sration of life’s journey inspired by the birth of his first with the horns and guitars growling behind him, urgently child. Simpson funks up his country twang with a rousing horn declares, “The bull——’s got to go!” Rock, country, Americana. section while keeping a rocking and rollicking edge under- Whatever. “A Sailor’s Guide to Earth” is a thrill. This compact 39 neath his probing lyrics. Heck, he even throws in bagpipes, a minutes of pure joy has got the kind of energy that just makes cello and violin and yet another killer cover - this time of you instinctively lean forward just to try and keep up.—AP Nirvana’s “In Bloom.” Simpson, like all great interpreters, makes the Kurt Cobain song sound like his own, and it oddly fits in perfectly with the mood and theme of “A Sailor’s Guide.”.