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RIP David Johanson Jan. 9, 1950- Feb. 28,2025

I loved David Johansens' first album when it came out in 1978. I played it constantly,  along with Patti Smith's Easter, bookends - the best releases of that year. Especially this song - great guitar (the album's production put the guitars up front), great lyrics and castanets for extra flare. David was the great "shouter"  of Rock n' Roll. No one had ever really done that before. Maybe Joey Ramone but he got it from David. I saw him twice only.  The first time was Friday Feb. 16, 1979 at The Indochinese Refugee Benefit Concert at The Palladium on 14th Street (NYC). The Second show. The bill had Todd Rundgren, Blue Oyster Cult, Rick Derringer, Patti Smith and David on it. All performing compact sets. The gig started at midnight pronto. It was freezing cold out with lots of frozen snow mounds all over the streets of NYC. Needless to say the late start gave us (I went with three other guys from High School) a lot of time to, how shall we say, imbibe - which we did. By midnight my eyes were out on stalks and I was extremely psychedelicized. We all were (tripping our balls off). David got it all going - I can recall his set was pure energy, consisting of nothing but songs from this album, which made me happy. He was a highlight! Blue Oyster Cult was just plain scary, Patti Smith was just fuckin' weird singing the Tomorrow song from the then hit musical Annie and Todd Rundgren was church, coming on at three in the morning. We got out just as the sky was changing - black night to dawn's grey light. We even took a wrong turn off the FDR on the way home and ended up in Queens just as the sun was coming up. I remember "orange" - orange detour signs, orange traffic cones & a cold, faded orange sunrise resembling Velveeta cheese. Somehow we got back onto the FDR near the GW Bridge. When I got home my father and mother were already up having coffee. They were cool, they knew it was an all nighter plus it was a Saturday so I didn't have to go to school or work.  I had great parents, I really did.

The next time I saw him was at the Poetry Project Benefit in June 1984 at The Ritz on 11th Street. He did another compact set, but he had more of a selection of material, a little more varied in tone. Todd Rundgren played that gig too. I was on the guest list!

David Johansen was a good showman, clearly in love with his art. It was just a couple weeks ago that I learned of his illness and felt bad for him. But also grateful - he lived a good life, he always seemed positive & he always looked like he was having a ball. He was known to have a spiritual side leaning toward Buddhism. He died on Losar - Tibetan New Year - completion. Listen, enjoy. I wish you were there.

https://www.loudersound.com/news/david-johansen-new-york-dolls-dead-rip

Part of the Patti Smith segment  (Gloria)  From The Indochinese Refugee gig can be found here:

https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/patti-smith/listen-to-patti-smith-hit-new-york-with-a-commandi