Episode 100- Musician Richie Ramone

“1-2-3-4!” Cue the driving punk guitar riff ­– it’s our 100^th episode! That’s right, we’ve made it to 100. We’re registered for podcast anniversary gifts at Sam Goody and Gadzooks, but what we’re really hoping is that Precious Moments will memorialize our very own precious moment in figurine form. Hmmm, what could the figurine be of? A naked sky diver? A Renaissance Festival king? Or maybe just of us wearing headphones, staring at our screens.

It should probably be of Captain. He’s Heidi’s new dog, a fella with an incredible capacity to snore and an infinite number of nickname possibilities, including Captain Stubing, Cap’n Crunch, and Captain Nemo. Ultimately, though, he’s just a Captain looking for his Tennille. Aren’t we all?

In this week’s podcast we learned a little bit more about Captain, along with why Heidi doesn’t want any voicemail messages unless you get into Bill and Ted’s phone booth and leave her an answering machine message, instead. Coincidentally, Luke has family members who are just learning about what answering machines are. We told you we’re old – we’ve reached 100!

Oh, lordy, that’s a lot of nudists, raccoon owners, Zodiac killer BFFs, and painting pigs. Who would be a worthy guest to join our pantheon of podcast personalities? Richie Ramone would, of course! So probably the most appropriate way to introduce our guest is to start with a, “Hey! Ho! Let’s go!”

This week we talked with Richie Ramone, from one of the greatest rock bands ever – the Ramones. Richie is more than just a punk rock drummer; he’s a fantastic drummer, period. He started keeping the beat at a very young age, knocking on any sort of percussive blocks he could find in kindergarten and probably doing a kick ass version of “Itsy Bitsy Spider.” He took drumming classes as a kid, once again proving how important it is for kids to be engaged with music. Your own precious moment could be the next Ramone, or at least stay in rhythm while clapping at a concert. Seriously, stop clapping off the beat when you hear music. It’s a pet peeve of Captain’s.

Richie shared with us his audition process to join the Ramones as a drummer in the early 80s. Sure, there’s nothing intimidating about going in for an audition and playing a couple of songs right next to Dee Dee Ramone. Richie got the job, and what followed was an amazing time, during which, along with playing drums, he also sang both backing tracks and lead. And he wrote songs as well, including “Somebody Put Something in My Drink.” (Why? The Podcast PSA: Never set your drink down at the bar. Chances are, your experience will not become a cool punk song.)

We learned why club performances are more conducive to punk rock than arenas, as well as why the coronavirus and punk shows don’t mix. We also talked about whether Richie is a Jet or a Shark, what it was like having Joey Ramone for a friend, and why the Ramones are so famous in South America. (We’re enjoying the mental image of Richie potentially running around the streets of Buenos Aires with a fake nose and glasses.)

After listening to this episode, you’re definitely going to want to know more about Richie. You can check him out on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, though he’ll inspire you to get off your phones and start taking music lessons, instead. For more information on the Ramones, go to Twitter here and here, Instagram here and here, and Facebook here and to their fan page here. (It’s the Ramones – they are worthy of an infinite amount of links.) Who knows, you might get inspired to become a punk rocker, just like Sheena.

On the occasion of our 100^th episode, we’d like to thank all of our listeners for being just as curious about the world of interesting people as we are. You all deserve a posh party with fabulous goodie bags. But since there’s a pandemic going on – and we’re on a budget – we can just offer you a chance to sign up for our newsletter and potentially get discounts on items discussed on our shows. Don’t complain – that’s far better than a gala at the Ritz. Happy 100^th episode anniversary and cheers to many more!