Jiro Ramone

I think I have pretty much documented this family's love of the Ramones (as well as our regret at having given Jiro the middle name Coltrane instead of Ramone). When Warren called and told me that Tommy Ramone was playing at Goner Records this evening (he's in town for the Folk Alliance Conference), it was a given that we would pick up the monkeys and head right on over.

I thought it was somewhat fortuitous that Tommy, the only surviving member, was in town, since Jiro has taken a liking to the drums lately.


Of course as we drove down Cooper, we cranked up the Ramones CD and had visions of seeing this Tommy Ramone (he's the one in sunglasses):



"Do you think he'll play some Ramones songs?" Warren asked me excitedly.

Not really knowing what to expect, I said, "Uh...maybe?"

We parked the car and joined the pack of hipsters congregating outside Goner Records. We immediately came upon Stella, Satchel's friend from school, and were pleasantly surprised to see lots of other little ones frolicking around. "Nice shirt, Jiro," Stella's dad said.

"Jiro loves the Ramones," I said trying not to sound like a Grup. (I dare say I wasn't the only one there, nor was Jiro the only kid in a Ramone's t-shirt.)

We ventured inside, and spotted Tommy right away. Only because he was on stage with his partner getting ready to start his set. Gone was the young punk rocker. He had become a long-haired hippie! Or something...


What we were seeing was actually Uncle Monk, an alt-country indie-bluegrass duo featuring TOMMY RAMONE on vocals, mandolin, guitar, banjo and dobro, and CLAUDIA TIENAN on vocals, guitar and bass.

"This is where punk rock came from," Tommy said. Everyone, including us, smiled and dug in for an hour of good ol' music.


Satchel and Jiro both seemed to enjoy the music, at least while their tootsie pops lasted. Then they were easily lured away by Stella who showed them several different ways they could cause their mother alarm. I eventually explained to Stella that Satchel and Jiro had come to hear some music, not get in trouble, and that seemed to do the trick.


I kept Jiro on my hip for awhile and he clapped along and said, "I like this music. I like Tommy Ramone."

Although you can't tell, he was almost as excited as his daddy, when I snapped this picture.


When I put him to sleep tonight, he was what I would call amped. He lunged at the clock radio and turned the dial away from WKNO and didn't stop until he hit a hard rock station. "I want to hear the Ramones!" he said. "I saw Tommy Ramone! I like that..."