The entrance and opening number of a rock concert is often the most memorable part of the show. I've seen a lot of good ones, but the best by a mile was the Ramones at La Ronde, the island amusement park in Montreal, in the summer of 1991. Because of La Ronde's location (there is a large but contained body of water behind the stage) the band took the opportunity to make a unique and dramatic appearance - by boat. And there they stood, at the bow, never moving, like an album cover, as they slowly made their way toward the crowd that had gone down to the railings to meet them. They looked like rock and roll vikings. No, check that - they were rock and roll vikings. As soon as the gangplank touched down, they went tearing through the hysterical fans - with leather jackets, guitars, and drumsticks - onto the stage, where Dee Dee let loose the immortal words that bring forth rock and roll: "ONE TWO THREE FOUR!!!"

And this was just one of how many unforgettable moments these guys provided. Looking at their career from this vantage point, they seem very philosophically sophisticated - much more than they were given credit for at the time - because they managed to keep in mind that rock and roll is supposed to be fun. Even when they weren't having any themselves - according to the film, End of the Century: The Story of The Ramones (2003), they toured primarily by van and the two principal members, Johnny and Joey, didn't speak for seventeen years (!) - they made sure their audience did.

Johnny Ramone was once asked about his playing in a somewhat patronizing way by an interviewer from a rock mag. His reply was something along the lines of this: "I'd like to see one of the fancy guitar players strum as hard and fast as I do, for as long as I do." So great. So right. No one has ever played the guitar like Johnny Ramone. The excitement that he (and his band, of course) created is still being felt. His playing got to the essence of rock and roll at a time when it was badly needed. How many fancy guitarists have done that? (Suggested viewing: Search The Ramones Blitzkrieg Bop Live Studio Hamburg in YouTube. More on The Ramones tomorrow.)