In August, New York City recognized the 50th anniversary of the first-ever live performance of the Ramones, the seminal rock ‘n roll band that reminded listeners that simple and fast were good for music.
Drummer Marky Ramone wasn’t there of course — he would first join the band in 1978 — but he certainly left his mark on the storied legacy of the world’s most fantastic punks. But as fate would have it, the original Ramones have all left us know, and Marky remains to carry on their legacy.
This year, Marky developed a new iteration of his Ramones show and he’s touring it now. He recently visited Black Cat, where he stomped through a welcome bunch of Ramones classics on the drums.
On Sept. 24, Marky Ramone and his band, Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg, shot through a whole mess of Ramone’s classics. Marky recruited three new guys to play these songs with him. Frontman Pela Scb impressively wears the standard Ramones look, and he sang with the right amount of swagger and carefree abandon at Black Cat. Guitarist Marcello Gallo really brought some muscle to the fast and furious Ramones riffs. And bassist Martin Blitz vibed well with Marky on drums.
Together, the quartet thumped through a crowd-pleasing selection of unforgettable tunes, including “Beat on the Brat” (1976), “Rockaway Beach” (1977), “Pet Sematary” (1989), and “I Wanna Be Sedated” (1979).
Stream top tracks by the Ramones on Spotify:
Over the course of 90 minutes, Marky and the band can cover roughly 30 Ramones songs, given that they are all about 2.5 minutes long on average. The band leave no time for idle chat or sitting on their hands — they get up and go! The four men rocked and rolled through a very satisfying evening at Black Cat.
Before this show, I had seen Marky Ramone appear as a DJ around Manhattan for select events, but I had not seen him anchor a live show like this. He was cool and commanding from his drum kit, and he generated a friendly and approachable warmth although he was laser-focused on his performance. It was a great experience to see him smash through these iconic songs.
It is great that Marky continues to keep Ramones music alive, and it is imperative to catch his show if you’re a fan. The songs remain as punchy and powerful as ever with Marky’s capable drums.
Here are a few photos of Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg performing at Black Cat on Sept. 24, 2024.
