Joey Ramone Day

November 30, 2003
New York City


If you have QuickTime see

short films by Adrian Salsgiver




The Ramones T-Shirt
(36 seconds, 2.9 MB)




My Whole Childhood In CBGBs
Department of Transportation Guys Are Ramones Fans
(59 seconds, 3.7 MB)




Everything Is Gonna Be All Right Oh Yeah
Arturo Vega at CBGBs
(2 minutes 36 seconds, 4.9 MB)




It's Based On The Ramones
Little Steven Van Zandt at CBGBs
(2 minutes 32 seconds, 5.4 MB)




Kid, Someday This Street Is Gonna Be Named After You
Danny Fields at CBGBs
(1 minute 21 seconds, 2.2 MB)




One Last Message From Joey
Richie Stotts at CBGBs
(1 minute 38 seconds, 2.5 MB)




Joey Ramone Showed Us That We Mattered
Dr. Donna Gaines at CBGBs
(1 minute 58 seconds, 2.7 MB)




THE PROCLAMATION
(3 minutes 19 seconds, 6 MB)




THE UNVEILING
(15 seconds, 728 KB)



JOEY RAMONE DAY

by Adrian Salsgiver


December 1, 2003
Washington, DC


Yesterday, I took the 6:20 AM train to New York City.


It’s hard to get used to coming up on Manhattan and seeing the skyline
without the World Trade Center. I wasn’t comfortable when I got off the
train. I hit the street and looked around to see if anybody was smoking.
What if it was illegal to smoke outside?


I took the Broadway local to my friend’s place in the West Village,
dropped off my bag then cabbed crosstown to CBGBs. Hilly Kristal
was counting money. He told me that Arturo was up on a ladder
re-covering the new street sign. Somebody pulled the cover off so
Arturo covered it with a Ramones T-shirt.


Arturo and the gang went over to the Loft. The place looked great.
Then we went to set up the stage at CBs.


The Department of Transportation guys showed up in a big truck
with a cherry picker and a new cover for the sign. But they were
Ramones fans and thought the T-shirt was far cooler than their
cover so they left it.


The crowd was building. I went next door to CBs Gallery where
I made my only purchase in NYC, a cup of coffee.
I listened in on a radio interview where Hilly told his story
about the old days and Joey.


I had first choice of where to stand with my movie camera,
against the wall on a platform and in front of stage center.
As the crowd started pouring into CBs, somebody asked me if
I knew who was in charge. It was Bradford Sussman from the
Office of the Manhattan Borough President with the Proclamation
declaring the Dedication of Joey Ramone Place and November 30, 2003
as Joey Ramone Day. I took him to the Loft to meet Arturo Vega.
There was a nice little party going on. Brad unwrapped the Proclamation
and I filmed it. Then we went back to CBs.


Most of the speakers were choking back tears, especially the ones who
were close to Joey. What was it about this man, Joey, who recently
walked among us? Could he have contributed so much to the world that
his legend will someday bring about the Spiritual Liberation of Humanity?
You can bet on it.


A bunch of us went out the back door in the hope that we could somehow
make it to the street and the unveiling. There was Danny Fields
pounding on the back door of the Gallery. We went through the Gallery
onto the Bowery. There were thousands of people. It was a beautiful
sunny day.


I saved enough juice in one of my batteries to get a shot of Arturo and
capture the unveiling.


The lack of police presence was amazing. Ramones fans are a loving
family who support each other. These Punk Rockers were not drunk,
on drugs and fighting. There wasn’t any need for police, except that
it would have been nice if they showed up and closed the streets
and diverted traffic.


I was disgusted when I arrived home in Washington. There was all this
negativity about Michael Jackson all over the News and nothing about
Joey Ramone Day and the love surrounding the Dedication of Joey
Ramone Place. Not to mention its importance.


This web site is owned by Adrian Salsgiver, the boy they wrote Sheena about.

© 2001 - 2005 Rainbow's Child Productions


See some of Adrian's work in the new movie:

PUNK'S NOT DEAD