Hank III Headlining Joey Ramone Birthday Bash

This year's JR Birthday Bash at Irving Plaza will be headlined by Hank III and Morningwood. First of all, I didn't even know that Morningwood was still around. Secondly, Hank III! Yeah, buddy! Maybe I'll actually go to this. It kinda seems odd to have a Joey Ramone party at Irving Plaza though. Somewhere a little further south would make much more sense.

Celebrating what would have been the 59th birthday of punk icon JOEY RAMONE, the annual JOEY RAMONE BIRTHDAY BASH will take place Wednesday, May 19th at The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza .  Mickey Leigh, event organizer and brother of Joey Ramone, has announced this year’s lineup and a sell out Bash is expected again.  Net proceeds will go to benefit Lymphoma research.                                                                                             

This year’s headliners are Hank III and Morningwood.  Once again, the spectacular party will conclude with The Joey Ramone Birthday Bashers featuring Richie Ramone, Hank III, Walter Lure, Cheetah Chrome, JP Thunderbolt, Ed Stasium, Jean Beauvoir, George Tabb,Ivan Julian, Al Maddy, Walt Stack, Dave Merrill, Mickey Leigh & others.  Also appearing are The Sic F*cks, The Independents, Spanking Charlene (winners of Little Steven’s Wicked Cool Records contest) and Heap.  As the audience enters the venue they will once again be greeted by musician Tracy Thornton, playing Ramones songs on the steel drum.  And, in what has become a Birthday Bash tradition, Sean O’Sullivan's Punk Pipers will round out the night with their rendition of “I Wanna Be Sedated” on bagpipes.

The Masters of Ceremony for this year’s fete will be Steven Van Zandt, Steve Craig, Matt Pinfield and Pete Ashner.  Additional surprises are expected at the evening’s events. 

RAMONE, who passed away in April 2001 after a seven-year battle with Lymphoma, had a history of encouraging up-and-coming bands in New York ’s downtown music scene by showcasing them at his special “Joey Ramone Presents…” events.  Since RAMONE’s passing, his brother and their mother Charlotte Lesher carried on the tradition “by featuring bands that make great music and getting together some of Joey’s friends to celebrate him on what would otherwise be a sad, somber day,” Leigh explained.

This year’s Bash is being sponsored by Manic Panic, Trash & Vaudeville, Tripp , New York Waste, WPKN, 101.9 RXP, Bravado and Ovation.