It may be the beginning of the dog days of summer, but there’s a lot going on tonight for a Tuesday in mid-July.
The Ramones were one of the bands that I saw live during my brief infatuation with punk rock in the late 1970s. What I remember about their shows was how many songs they managed to play in a single concert. Most of their tunes, including such memorable ones as “Sheena Was A Punk Rocker” and “I Wanna Be Sedated,” were under three minutes long.
With the death of the founding members of the band, I thought that the Ramones were through. But the second generation bassist, CJ Ramone, is carrying on and he is performing tonight at the Hanger at the Rendon Inn as part of a long national tour.
CJ, born Christopher Ward, replaced founding bassist Dee Dee Ramone in 1989 and played with the band until 1996. He was said to be “a breath of fresh air” and invigorated the group with his youthful energy. Rock City Morgue and two other bands open the show.
If you are looking for something considerable more laidback than head banging to punk rock, head over to the Big Top to check out 007. The band plays Jamaican rocksteady, a precursor to reggae, and features local stalwarts Alex McMurray, Jonathan Freilich, and Joe Cabral along with founding member Jeffery Clemens, the drummer for G. Love and Special Sauce.
