When Hilly Krystal launched his New York club, the intended focus was country, bluegrass, and blues (CBGB). However, the dive bar became perhaps the world’s best-known venue for launching punk rock. Among some of the best loved bands to get at least CBGB assists in their careers are the Ramones, Blondie, Patti Smith, the Talking Heads, and Television.
August 16, 1974 marked the day when Queens, New Yorkers took the stage in jeans, black leather jackets, and Converse high-tops. It was their debut public performance. With a rapid-fire intro of “One! Two! Three! Four!”, the Ramones kicked their career – and the punk revolution into gear. As Legs McNeil, founder of Punk magazine said, “These guys were not hippies. This was something completely new.” TDH
The Ramones at CBGB
The Ramones were “a bracing antidote to the tamed and bloated corporate rock and roll of the mid-1970s.” TDH They went back to the basics with quick, loud blasts of stripped-down rock consisting just of vocals, guitar, bass, and drums. Their shows were showcases for their philosophy of “no makeup, no egos, no lights shows, no nonsense.” RH The group provided the template for future punk bands like the Sex Pistols and the Clash.
The Ramones are a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. According to Dave’s Music Database, the group’s 1976 debut is one of the top 100 albums of all time and their 1978 song “I Wanna Be Sedated” is in the top 1000 songs of the 20th century list.
Resources and Related Links:
- the DMDB page for the Ramones’ debut album
- Ramones’ DMDB Encyclopedia entry
- BBC BBC The Ramones first play CBGBs
- RH Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Ramones Biography
- TDH This Day in History The Ramones play their first public gig at CBGB’s in downtown Manhattan
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