Punk Returns to Lower East Side
By Leah Marchesano*
For all lovers of punk, The Studio at Webster Hall was the place to be on Saturday night. Even if you're not a big punk fan, you couldn't pass up the opportunity to see this band play. I'm of course talking about the one and only, CJ Ramone. To kick off the night one of my favorite up and coming bands, Wyldlife, took the stage. They are the type of band you want to see open for a Ramone, or anyone for that matter. Their songs are fast, energetic, they get you moving and you wind up wishing they played longer. They leave you thirsty for more. Two more bands took the stage before CJ Ramone, The Bullys and The Bad Parts. I didn't really care for either. I didn't think they fit the bill too well, it only made me more anxious to see and hear some Ramones songs.
After the opening bands had finished and the stage got set for CJ Ramone, you could feel the anticipation. I had never seen The Studio so packed before. We were all there for the same reason, we were of all ages, from different backgrounds, different states but we were all there because at some point in our lives, The Ramones walked in and they never left.
The crowd erupted in applause as CJ Ramone took the stage and started out with 'Blitzkrieg Bop'. In true Ramones fashion, there were absolutely no breaks in between songs. He just played one after the other, sped up of course, I don't think any song reached over 2 minutes in length. The night was full of favorites such as 'Judy is a Punk', 'Sheena is a Punk Rocker', 'I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend' and 'Commando'. The whole night was very fast paced, you were never standing idle, your feet were constantly in motion.
The Ramones are one of those bands that you grip onto. Saturday night couldn't have been better. For Ramones fans everywhere but, especially in NYC, we left with our ears ringing and our heads spinning. We had just seen CJ Ramone play an all Ramones set and our admiration for The Ramones had grown stronger.
***Leah Marchesano is a correspondent for Officially A Yuppie. She has reviewed The Kooks, The Twees, Klaxons for this site.