Thursday, September 3, 2015

A Joey Ramone-CBGB 40th anniversary mural for the Bowery



A new mural featuring Joey Ramone is going up today on Bleecker at the Bowery... across the way from the former CBGB... EVG reader Lola Sáenz says that the mural is by Solus and John CRASH Matos...

The mural is via The L.I.S.A. Project to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Ramones debuting at CBGB.


[Top photos by Lola Sáenz]

Here was the view around noon...

A photo posted by Solus (@solusstreetart) on

33 comments:

Scooby said...

Gabba Gabba - HEY! Nice tribute - thanks for posting - will check it out!

Anonymous said...

It's a lie. Joey Ramone didn't box, watch boxing, care about boxing...I'm all for artistic interpretation but this mural is just stupid and disrespectful to his legacy.

Anonymous said...

If a mural was painted on that wall in 1976 (the year of the Ramones first album) commemorating a band from 40 years previous, it would have been from 1936! They would have had to skip not just the 1940s, but the 50s, the 60s, and half the 70s.

Interesting to think.

Gojira said...

We accepted you, one of us.

Unknown said...

I know exactly where I was when I heard that Joey had died, it broke my heart. Gabba Gabba Hey, Babycakes. We will always miss you and be happy that we had you in our lives, even if it wasn't long enough. Hope you are happy where you are( if you are anywhere)
Love, Darci

Unknown said...

I know exactly where I was when I heard that Joey had died, it broke my heart. Gabba Gabba Hey, Babycakes. We will always miss you and be happy that we had you in our lives, even if it wasn't long enough. Hope you are happy where you are( if you are anywhere)
Love, Darci

Scooby said...

Exactly, Gojira... I was going to include that but am happier you did!

Anonymous said...

I interpreted the gloves as an homage to Warhol/Basquiat

pinhead said...

I just met a nurse that I could go for.

Giovanni said...

I think the artist is trying to say that Joey did not wear briefs.

Anonymous said...

Didn't the Ramones have 4 members? I guess icons are usually easier to digest when you whittle them down to one person. Revisionists never cease to depress me.

Unknown said...

Internet tuff guys....... where would the Internet be without you lol way to kill some good happenings
get a life

Anonymous said...

Well said

Gojira said...

Joey was the only Ramone to actually *live* on the Bowery, in a loft across the street from CBs; Johnny lived on 10th and 3rd, DeeDee lived in Queens, Tommy, Marky and the rest, no idea, but not the Bowery. I assume, Anon. 10:02, that that is the reason he is the only one pictured on the wall.

PS - Thanks, Scooby!

Anonymous said...

The reason Joey is featured and not the others is that he was a liberal. Johnny was fascist, DeeDee a junkie, and Tommy a drummer.

Anonymous said...

Yeah. Nice gift to the scumbag NYU fuck and Varvatos. If you wanna celebrate Joey, throw a bottle through the window of one of those overpriced condos the mural is in or near. Way to give a gift to the gentrifiers.

Anonymous said...

Joey didn't care about Basquiet or Warhol. Where were they when he was struggling? This mural is just a way to promote that trendy poser boxing gym that has maybe what, 30 members? A place Joey wouldn't go to in a bazillion years. He would laugh at it. Show Joey with a mic and a broken beer bottle. More on point.

Unknown said...

Nice!

Unknown said...

Haha....probably hanes.

Unknown said...

Ya but Joey was the singer.

Unknown said...

Well informed Ramones fan! I went to Arturo's loft once. That was a trip!

Unknown said...

Tommy a drummer...man, but the best drummer!

Unknown said...

Joey Balboa.

Anonymous said...

Just curious. Did anyone get a quote from the people who control Joey's estate, his brother Mickey Lee, for example? Is there a living Ramone or close friend who has said that this is a wonderful representation of Joey? Anyone from the Ramones who talked to the artist? I would accept this dumb mural a bit more if someone connected to Joey agreed with it.

Anonymous said...

This work isn't thoughtful or special to Joey Ramone's memory. Solus is known to be obsessed with boxing gloves. He paints them everywhere on everyone, no matter what. He spent zero time on who Joey truly was and what the Ramones stood for to those of us who are paying attention. Solus just spit out his own limited vision all over Joey's wall. Shame.

Anonymous said...

@September 4, 2015 at 12:23 AM
Why would Joey Ramone want to pay homage to Warhol/Basquiat?

Anonymous said...

I'm all for artistic expression/ license, but the boxing gloves have no connection in any way, shape or form
to Joey, or the Ramones. If you really want to commemorate the Ramones incl all 4 original members. The punk rock thing to do would be to deface this glossed over fake shit.

Anonymous said...

There were four Ramones. The space Solus used to exaggerate those annoying overblown boxing gloves would have been better used to show the other three Ramones. What did the artist get to do this? A free bowl of soup and a can of beer at Overthrow Boxing Gym, where ten clueless kids bite off the Ramones legacy like the Ramones would even want to know them? It's not likely the Ramones would want any of this. Only question left is, how much did the taxpayers pay for this mess in government grants?

Anonymous said...

Four Ramones. Not one Ramone and comically oversized boxing gloves by an artist obsessed with an old skool sport the Ramones didn't care about, nor does anyone else. Four Ramones. Check it. Joey didn't box. But he sang in a band with the other three Ramones. Delete gloves. Replace gloves with Ramones.

Anonymous said...

Wasnt it once "Joey Ramone Way" or whatever on 2nd Street? did they do away w/ that when the douchebags took over the area?
Whatever....no matter what --the Bowery sucks now. Was so so SO much better when it was derelict. Fun times those. Salut.

Anonymous said...

Agree it's in bad taste. But without these such tributes to its cool past, what is the EV Now except for a bunch of bars and restaurants and fake-lux condos? Not much!

Anonymous said...

We're punk. Therefore we should accept the crumbs they throw us. The reporting is out to lunch about this ugly gesture. Like it "recalls the good old days"? as per the Daily News. Those days when Joey Ramone wore boxing gloves as big as his head? There were no other Ramones in those old days? And CBGBs was called CBG like this painting? Or how about Basquiat, Warhol, and Joey hanging "together again"? When were they ever together? But yeah we are punks so thanks (but no thanks) for the tribute.

Anonymous said...

...welcome to the future!