Richie Ramone Will Rock Reggie's

Back in 1976, the new kid in our 6th grade class turned me onto the Ramones. They had just released their debut self-titled album and I was hooked from the first time I heard “Blitzkrieg Bop,” the first song on it.

The Ramones, comprised of Johnny, Joey, Dee Dee and Tommy formed in 1974. Despite a few lineup changes, the Ramones were active through 1996, producing 14 studio albums and hundreds of concerts.

Richie Ramone joined the Ramones in early 1983 for their Subterranean Jungle tour (although he did not play on that album). He stayed with the band until late 1987.

Richie was the only drummer to sing lead vocals on Ramones songs. Frontman Joey Ramone praised Richie for his ability to sing lead and backing vocals, as well as his drumming. Joey even has said that Richie saved the Ramones by reviving the spirit in the band. That's high praise from one of the original Ramones, especially considering the other long-running squabbles within the band.

Richie has remained busy since leaving the Ramones. In 2007, he debuted “Suite for Drums and Orchestra" (a classical composition based on West Side Story) with the Pasadena Pops. He was the co-composer and featured soloist

In 2013, Richie released “Entitled,” his first solo album. It featured new songs written by Richie, as well as new recordings of songs he wrote for the Ramones. Richie released “Cellophane,” his second CD, in 2017.

Richie will be touring this October. Starting October 5 in Newport, KY and ending October 20 in Houston, TX, Richie and his band will perform 15 dates. Of special interest to me is October 6, when Richie comes to Reggie's on the near south side of Chicago. The doors will open at 8 pm and the evening will feature Richie, Squirtgun, Parasites and The Reaganomics. Reggie's will be rocking.

My friends and I are very excited about Richie appearing at Reggie's and Richie is, too. He said, “I am very excited to be playing Reggie’s. It has a great history and Chicago is an amazing city. I don’t get to come here often, so get up and get out to the show. Peace.”

Featuring a full bar and larger than normal bar menu, music stage and music store, Reggie's is about as cool as it gets. It is much more than a simple music venue. They even have two great overnight stay options adjacent to the club, if you want to extend the night. It is historic, lively and simply a great place for a night of music and food.

(Richie Ramone and Mass Giorgini. Photo courtesy of Mass Giorgini.)

Joining Richie in the night's musical lineup and all in the excitement is Mass Giorgini and Squirtgun. Punk rock band Squirtgun was formed by Mass in 1993. Producer, musician, composer vocalist and more, Mass has done it all in the music industry. Mass is also a fan of Richie and is looking forward to appearing with him, but I'll let him tell more about that.

"I’m thrilled to be doing this show with Richie. While I was a Ramones fan in general, “Too Tough to Die” has always held a special place in my heart—and it was Richie’s first album as a Ramone. My brother and I were already both big fans of the band since the late 70’s—and our father was well aware of that—so he bought the album for my brother and me in 1984 as an early Christmas gift after reading a good review of the album in Rolling Stone. We both played the album on almost constant repeat for months—it became one of our all-time favorite albums and has remained so. So, to us, Richie was THE drummer of the Ramones, as he was the man behind the skins of our favorite Ramones album.

Of course, Richie went on to play on more Ramones albums, and even wrote one of the bands standout tracks—one of my personal faves, “Somebody Put Something in my Drink”—but he had already cemented his place as one of my all-time punk rock idols with “Too Tough to Die.”

It’s truly amazing to finally get the chance to do a show with Richie now, 30+ years into my own punk rock “career,” finally getting a chance to play with one of my all-time Music heroes."

That's high, but deserved, praise and a bit of history there. I got goosebumps reading that and then rewriting it in this piece and I greatly appreciate Mass giving me his thoughts. It got me even more pumped for the night at Reggie's. It's awesome to hear such passion from performers like Richie and Mass about their upcoming appearances.

Ramone. Squirtgun. Parasites. The Reaganomics. All at Reggie's. Wow! That's quite a lineup. Reggie's will indeed be rocking!

Reggie's won't be Richie's last appearance in the area this year, however. He will also be at Chicago Pop Culture Con November 24 and 25 at Pheasant Run in St. Charles. Joining him there will be fellow Ramones' alum CJ Ramone, among many other pop culture notables. This will be a unique opportunity to meet two of the Ramones! The longtime Ramones fan in me can't wait! I will write more on that here later, so stay tuned

First things first tough. In less than 2 weeks, Richie Ramone will take the stage at Reggie's and rock it like only he can. Add Mass Giorgini and Squirtgun, along with Parasites and The Reaganomics and you have one night of energized, rock that you don't want to miss.