The Romaines bring a Caribbean style of punk to fans of The Ramone’s music. When you think of Ramones, you think of punk style music with beer thrown around. The Romaines though bring a Caribbean style of the music of the Ramones where you can still throw drinks around, but most likely it will be margaritas. As a Ramones fan, I dig this! They keep the elements of what the Ramones are and bring that style to a new musical vibe.
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Press Release:
How did the Romaines get the idea to play Island-Style- versions of Ramones songs?
The legend goes: John Jackson and John Juan started a Ramones cover band, staying true to the sound and look. People liked the hair and sound, but couldn’t hear the words and thought the music was too loud. Upset by the feedback, John and John went to their Tiki Hideaway to sit in their Jacuzzi, listen to their vinyl record collection and strategize:
“Maybe we channel the spirit of Dee Dee Ramone and write our own songs?” theorized one of the Johns.
“Didn’t he create the Ramones from some chemistry experiment gone wrong in his lab?” said the other.
“Yea!” they agreed on the strategy with a nod, as they rolled up some their homegrown garden lettuce. Commencing, they made the stickiest sickest Mai Tai creations possible, using every beaker, stirrer & wild fruit they could find.
“What else would Dee Dee put in?” as they sparked a fire.
“Well, in ‘I Wanna be Well’ he talks about DDT and LSD’—how about that?”
“It’s worth a try.”
The Johns cheers, drink, and remember no more for the night.
They wake up the next morning to find themselves alive, but their copycat Ramones’ haircuts have turned into lettuce—Romaine lettuce! They witness their turntable has fallen into the Jacuzzi and the electrical breaker is flipped. Cleaning up they find their favorite Don Ho and Ramones records have fused together, sticky with their sick Mai Tai creations! “Noooo……” the Johns wail like toddlers.
As the two stop to think about it, besides having Romaine for hair, they feel fine—in fact: better than ever.
“Hello John Romaine” slips out of one John’s mouth.
“Hello Johnny Romaine” says the other with intrigue, as his eyebrows lift?
“Well, what do we now?”
“We go practice our Ramones songs—what else do we do?”
Like a dream in slow motion, no matter how fast and hard they play, no matter how much they jump and rock, only slow harmonious clean and beautiful melodies flow out of them. Their instruments seem lighter, as their hearts. Suddenly they can hear all the words of the songs and know what they all mean. Instead of angst, they swell with peace. They can see no pounding drummer in front of them, but hear the pulsing of the ocean, distant thumps of hand drums and shakers like palm leaves in the wind. Surprisingly, they are indeed the same songs; before, after, and forever.
