Ramones

Before moving West, I saw the Ramones probably ten or twelve times. I would get the local weekly and check if they were playing anywhere in CT, NY, MA or RI. This was, of course, long before the internet.

There was no show like a Ramones show. At least until the last time I saw them at the Living Room in Providence when a bunch of jarheads started swing Xacto knives around ruining everything.

Some performer have to jump around and get the audience into it to get some energy going but not the Ramones. It really was all about the music.  They'd come out onstage without making contact (even with each other), Dee Dee would yell, "ONE TWO THREE FOUR!!!", they'd blast out Do You Wanna Dance or something, and when it was over, two minutes later, do another one.

Joey would move around a little but Johnny and Dee Dee mostly stayed pretty still and I bet if I watch an old show now it would probably even look like they resented being there and were only fulfilling an obligation.

Though it had to be fun to see people flying around in manic ecstasy to Surfin' Bird or Rockaway Beach. There's just no way that wasn't worth everything.

When I came out to Seattle in '96 for an all-expense-paid conference on improving neighborhoods, the hotel offered us a town car to take us anywhere we wanted. One our very first night just after checking in, they brought us to the New Orleans in Pioneer Square for dinner. On the way in I picked up a copy of the local weekly and saw something called the Night of the Living Elvises at the Crocodile.

The driver dropped me, Ellen, Michelle and Dina off and we saw Elvis impersonator after Elvis impersonator backed up by the Memphis Mafia. A Young Elvis would finish his song, a Fat Elvis would come out and the bass player would yell, "One two three four!", and on and on. It was incredible. 

Finally, Drug Addict Elvis came out with a nurse and an whiskey IV drip, holding a toilet bowl full of fried chicken that he would take a bite of and then throw at the audience while sing I Wanna Be Sedated. 

I was jumping up and down on a couch with my friends and even though I had only been in Seattle for a couple hours, I knew I was gonna move here as soon as I could.

This painting is for my sister, 'cause the only thing that would have been more perfect would have been if she were jumping up and down on the couch with me.

I painted this off a photo I found online by a guy named Ian Harper who, although we never met, was no doubt at some of the same shows as I was.