I am so confused! These little pink pills and those beige ones that "they" gave me for my "illness" have me hallucinating and lost in space. Yesterday I dreamed that I was hanging with Diane Keaton back in the day and that we were going to see Michael Jackson at the old Copa. This never happened, but it was vivid and real, and I woke up disappointed that it was just a dream. By the way, I was incredibly charming and suave throughout.

Hey Ho! Lets Go! These words were a call to arms when the Ramones ruled my universe, and this city's heart. There was a time when guitar solos led into drum solos and a thousand lead singers with big hair sang songs about love and knights and such, and the lyrics were flowing and even understandable. Along came the Ramones, their 1, 2, 3, 4 scream being the only way you could tell that they were on to the next chapter. It was one long bang, with a frenzy only punk, hardcore, and maybe war could achieve.

They say that “close” only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades. I think it sometimes counts with cover bands, especially when a member of that band is on board. Last night I raced to Hudson Hall at the Hudson Hotel to catch Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg. Marky was joined by Andy Hilfiger on bass and lead singer Michale Graves, formerly of the Misfits (after Glen Danzig moved on). It was a barrage of classic Ramones, from “Sheena is a Punk Rocker” to “Lobotomy.” Surely it wasn’t the Ramones for real, but if you closed your eyes and squinted your ears just right it was real nice. These days a blurry YouTube video or a track over the radio or from some DJ is all we have left. This live show of all the stuff that ushered in an era was absolutely a blast. There was a punk purity to it, an honesty and a truth that only comes off live. No, Andy isn’t Dee Dee, and Michale ain’t Joey. But they weren’t trying to be.

I took a week off to regroup and begin the New Year. I was around town, visiting clubs and trying to get a grip on what will be, and on Thursday I attended an art opening at a former assistant’s gallery. I’ve had a hundred or so assistants over the years, and the one thing this diverse group has in common is that they hate being called assistants.