Album: Brain Drain
Year: 1989
I got to see the Ramones for the second and final time on September 19, 1987 at the Wilson Theater in Fresno. This was on the Brain Drain tour, a record that was so devoid of inspiration that Robert Christgau dissed by calling them a “great band that has worn down to a day job for night people.”
However, lack of inspiration isn’t lack of professionalism, and with Marky back in the drummers throne, they were awesome in concert. Though it might have been the, er, substance Ronnie (R.I.P.) and I ingested before they went on, I remember just letting myself being blown away by one great song after another, all of which were announced by Dee Dee’s omnipresent “1-2-3-4!”, and even if they hated each other and were doing it because they knew there was nothing else they could do, they clearly still trusted in their ever-present momentum.
[Read more…] about Certain Songs #1813: Ramones – “Pet Sematary”