A great compilation of Tommy Ramone’s live performances by Alli Patton at American Songwriter. Including, this excerpt: In 1977, the band made an appearance on the music variety show, Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert, playing another fiery set for television audiences. The drummer can be glimpsed in the back, delivering a durable beat to songs like “Sheena is a Punk Rocker,” “Loudmouth,” and “Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment.”
It’s Alive is an LPM show that briefly devotes the airwaves to live music everyday at 1pm. Tune in to hear this performance and more live tracks!
Excerpt: The funk rock legend, Sly Stone, came from a musical family, and was considered a prodigy at a young age. At 23 he founded what would become his most profound and longstanding legacy, Sly & the Family Stone. The band pushed the boundaries of race and gender at the time, becoming the first racially integrated major rock group in the US with men and women playing together.
Classic Rock History has posted a great article contrasting the show’s origin to what came next, written by Brian Kachejian. Excerpt: In the 1960’s and 70s’s we never imagined the advent of MTV, cable television, and even the internet. Our only opportunity to enjoy music was from the vinyl grooves of the albums we loved, and the concert performances we attended. The Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert series began a series of events that would eventually change the music industry, and the fan experience.
Tyler Golsen at Farout Magazine highlights the moment that Don Kirshner invited Alice Cooper to be the first band to appear when the new show launched on ABC in November of 1972. Check out this great post, including this excerpt: Within a few minutes, a rerun of the 1960s western Rawhide was being shown instead. The station manager undoubtedly thought he was saving a whole city from the devilish antics of Alice Cooper, but what he didn’t realise was how popular the group had become by 1972, especially in the midwest of the United States. The censorship stirred local controversy, which also allegedly included a bomb threat against the station for pulling the Alice Cooper performance. Kirshner wanted a response, and boy, did he get one.
