Ending 2020 with a concert by The Ramones, recorded at The Old Waldorf in San Francisco, New Years Eve 1978.
What better way to drown out an otherwise strange, perplexing and frustrating year than with The Ramones. High voltage, non-stop and relentless, it’s the perfect antidote to a year with more twists and turns than a third-rate Crime Novel. And what better way to usher in the chorus of crossed-fingers than with something earsplitting to let everyone know we’re still here and still breathing.
We heard too much that was hateful, saw too much that was ugly and lost too much that was dear this 2020, than do anything but give it a loud sendoff. And even though we’re still knee-deep in one of the worst years in recent memory, there’s still glimmer of hope that things, as they always do, work out.
Here’s to 2021. The events are pacing the floor, waiting to unfold. The scenes are ready to transform with the appropriate cue, and friends are unwittingly preparing for the long and final trip. Different people, different places, different circumstances – but another year and we won’t know where it all winds up until this time next year.
Here’s hoping for the best and settling for the outcome. It’s all we can do in light of the circumstances. Keeping our fingers crossed, lighting all the candles, staying away from each other and keeping our masks on – the alternative is much much worse. And maybe you want to scream and yell and throw things – we all understand and we’re probably doing it too.
Play this thing loud and know that it all works out – all of it. It always has.
Peace.
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Throughout the remarkable twenty-two-year career of the Ramones the seminal punk rock band, Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famers, Recording Academy Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners and inductees into The Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry, Monte A. Melnick saw it all. He was the band’s tour manager from their 1974 CBGB debut to their final show in 1996. Now, in this NEW UPDATED EDITION he tells his story. Full of insider perspectives and exclusive interviews and packed with over 250 personal color photos and images; this is a must-have for all fans of the Ramones.