Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg, The Dickies and Jerk at DNA Lounge in San Francisco

Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg tore through San Francisco on a rainy Saturday night but the fans were undeterred, packing the DNA Lounge for a blistering set of non-stop Ramones tunes featuring the legendary Marky Ramone on drums.

Las Vegas’ very own Jerk kicked things off and the room was packed by the time The Dickies took the stage, launching into the Sex Pistol’s “Anarchy in the UK” which frontman Leonard Phillips explained was the first song he sang when he first auditioned for the band. The audience was more than happy to sing along through the classics and covers, but it wasn’t until their festy rendition of Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid” late in the set that the crowd finally started moving, keeping it going through the set closer “Gigantor.”

Marky and his band took the stage promptly at 10 pm and quickly got the dance floor to open up appropriately with “Do You Wanna Dance,” the multi-generational crowd crammed up against the stage a testament to the lasting relevance of the band’s storied catalog. With a “1-2-3-4!” from the bassist it was quickly on to the next song with hardly time for the band members to catch their breath; they literally didn’t even pause to introduce the band.

While the vocalist’s accent took a little getting used to, he definitely brought the appropriate amount of Joey Ramone swagger and slur to the vocals to make it easy to enjoy the set of classics. At 71 years of age, Marky remains an absolutely beast behind the kit, not only holding down the back beat but frequently showing off with some unexpected fills that gained a noticeable reaction in the appreciative crowd.

While the show promotion promising 30 songs, Marky’s band managed to plow through a set of 37 tunes with only a brief break before wrapping the night. There’s an obvious reason why they’re called ‘Blitzkrieg!’ All in all, there was a lot to appreciate; an hour and 20 minutes of classic tunes delivered in true Ramones fashion without the frills, just the ‘1-2-3-4’s.’ The good news is that there are still plenty of chances to catch Marky and the gang on their West Coast run. Do not snooze on these shows!

Feb 18	Strummer’s	Fresno, CA
Feb 19	The Siren	Morro Bay, CA
Feb 20	Transplants Brewing	Palmdale, CA
Feb 22	Echoplex	Los Angeles, CA
Feb 23	The Observatory	Santa Ana, CA
Feb 24	Temblor Brewing	Bakersfield, CA
Feb 25	House of Blues	San Diego, CA