‘Hey! Ho! Let’s Go: Ramones and the Birth of Punk’ Examines Ramones’ Impact on Visual Art and Music

The Queens Museum in New York City and the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles have worked in cooperation to create the two-part exhibit, “Hey! Ho! Let’s Go: Ramones and the Birth of Punk.” Running from Sept. 16-Feb. 28, the exhibit explores the incredible influence which the punk rock pioneers had on the music industry. The exhibit was created in collaboration with Ramones Productions Inc. and commemorates the 40th anniversary of the band’s self-titled debut. The exhibition will specifically examine the complementary nature of New York City’s musical and visual art scenes during The Ramones’ “classic” period of the 1970s and 1980s.

The Ramones began in the New York City borough of Queens, standing out from most every other rock ‘n roll band of the era. “The Ramones” become one of the most important records in the burgeoning punk scene, full of high-octane guitar riffs, simple song structures and bubblegum pop melodies. The 1976 album created the pop-punk blueprint. Their influence has expanded well beyond the realm of punk; their logo is one of the most ubiquitous in rock ‘n roll merchandising.

The Queens Museum exhibit covered the band’s ascendance from fledgling garage band to punk icons, both in terms of their visual art and aesthetic as well as their musical ingenuity and style. The Grammy Museum shifts the focus from the band’s rise to their place as a major influence in the larger pop-culture spectrum.

This exhibition will allow visitors to view key objects which were selected from over 50 collections. Included in the exhibit is material from the co-designer of the band’s logo Arturo Vega, Mad Magazine cartoonist Sergio Aragones, founder of Punk magazine John Holmstrom, Shepard Fairey and Yoshitomo Nara. Other contributions come from the collections of Joey Ramone’s brother, Mickey Leigh, who was the band’s original stage manager as well as Linda Ramone, the widow of guitarist Johnny Ramone.

Head downtown to the GRAMMY Museum for “Hey! Ho! Let’s Go: Ramones and the Birth of Punk.” The exhibit runs from Sept. 16 – Feb. 28.