OMFUG

            I decided to rent the movie CBGB over the weekend.  It’s a fantastic film staring one of my favorite actors, Alan Rickman.  The film focused on the founder and owner of the club CBGB’s, Hilly Krystal, and how his musical ear helped create the punk soundtrack of the 1970s and launch the new wave scene of the 1980s.  Hilly gave opportunities to young musicians exploring their art to present their work in front of live audiences.  The bands that performed on the stage at CBGB’s reads like an all star lineup: The Ramones, Blondie, Patti Smith, Iggy Pop & Stooges, The Talking Heads, just to name a few.

            Music brings people together.  It can time stamp a moment, an emotion or cement a feeling.  How many times have you heard a song and remembered exactly where you were the first time it was on the radio?  I still remember the day I took the train to the city so I could buy an album by The Ramones.  Instead of one, I bought three: The Ramones, Rocket to Russia and Road to Ruin.  How apropos that on my way to the city, I went over the blue line walkway in East Boston that reeked of human urine.  How very punk.

            Some of my friends in school didn’t appreciate The Ramones like I did.  They would make fun of me and say that the band only knew 4 chords.  My counter argument was, “yeah, but they play them really well”!

            I discovered The Ramones because my parents invested in cable television and HBO.  We loved HBO at my house.  They had a limited number of films available on the channel at that time, but Rock N Roll High School was one of them.  I was riveted, sitting in front of the television religiously whenever the movie was on.  The Ramones music was fast, energized and fun.  They even included concert footage of them playing live!   The cry of “gabba, gabba, hey” rang out in my living room as I jumped around.  After watching the movie over and over again, I had to go buy as many of their albums as I could. 

            I began to notice other stories about punk music.  One of the television magazine shows had a segment about a nightclub in New York City that catered to the punk crowd.  They even had a punk buffet that included chicken legs tied to a rope and hanging from the ceiling as well as a fish tank that held a baby doll submerged in jello!  It was both revolting and fascinating to me.  The club’s name escapes me, but this sealed my desire to go to New York and see everything for myself.  That would take another 6 years, but I eventually made it to the city.

            Today, it’s hard to believe that all the original members of The Ramones are now gone.  A large part of my youth has passed onto the other side and it saddens me.  I can close my eyes and picture the band playing together once again.  All I can do to celebrate is chant “gabba, gabba, hey” and pogo in my living room.