My 12 Favorite Concerts - #8 The Ramones

#8
The Ramones
Nov. 22, 1988, Center Stage (Atlanta)
It all started with a crappy job and a mix tape some guy made for my older sister. The job was at a one-hour photo place. My two bosses chafed at my love of '70s classic rock. I'd talk about The Steve Miller Band and the Eagles, and they'd wonder why I didn't listen to anything new and play XTC and P.I.L. It was about that same time I borrowed my sister's mixtape. Among tracks from Drivin' 'n Cryin' and Plimsouls were two Ramones songs—"I Wanna Be Sedated" and a cover of the Beach Boys "Do You Wanna Dance?" The band wasn't new—they'd been playing the same four chords for 14 years—but it was completely new to me. After watching "Rock and Roll High School" with some friends, we headed to Center Stage for a Ramones show. The band blew through dozens of two-minute songs in a couple of hours. There was more leather in the room than I'd seen in one place, but I was bopping along with everybody, shouting "Hey Ho! Let's Go!" and saying goodbye to Foreigner forever.

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