Meet the Neighbors: Dee Dee Ramone

As a Chelsea Hotel resident, Ed Hamilton met lots of wild and famous characters, as his book, Legends of the Chelsea Hotel: Living with Artists and Outlaws in New York's Rebel Mecca, will attest. One such character, whom he writes about in EXPERIENCED, is the late Dee Dee Ramone.

In "Dee Dee's Challenge," it's quickly evident that the Ramones' bassist was no Ned Flanders or George Wilson (no surprise there). But he was definitely the kind of neighbor one would never forget.

 

Here's video of the Ramones at the US Festival:

Phish Heads on Tour

Devoting huge chunks of time following your favorite band isn't always easy, not even for trustafarians. In Laurel Gilbert's, "A Little Worse than Moonbeam," a busload of Phish heads find themselves with more than they bargained for once Trey's solos have ended and the parking lot cops become proverbial kids in a candy store. Once again, real life gets in the way of good, not-so-clean fun.

Connections: Delmore Schwartz & Lou Reed

One of the biggest influences on the work of iconic rocker Lou Reed was the poet & writer Delmore Schwartz. Schwartz taught creative writing at Syracuse while Reed studied there, but he was more than just his professor. He was a friend and mentor, and his powerful use of everyday language and the common vernacular in his writing, as well as his ability to find sparks of beauty and light amid the darkness of the mundane, helped shape Reed's lyrics.








On "My House," from the 1982 album,  The Blue Mask,  Reed pays tribute to his friend and teacher of "the proud and regal name Delmore."