NEW YORK--Mainstream America saluted punk rock last week when Congress proclaimed May 19 to be “Joey Ramone Day” and raised a flag in his honor over the nation’s capitol. At Joey Ramone’s 50th Birthday Bash that night at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom, the late rock star’s mother and brother were presented with the flag and proclamation. Immediately thereafter, a massive food fight broke out among the 3,000 birthday party attendees.

Both events would have amused and delighted Joey Ramone himself.

The Hammerstein Ballroom was packed full of music, memories, laughter and some tears as family, friends and fans of the singer celebrated his life. Ramone, who died on April 15 after a lengthy battle with lymphatic cancer, had very much hoped to attend the party himself; his mother Charlotte Lesher and brother Mickey Leigh promised him that the festivities would go on no matter what. Musicians and friends offered to perform and to tell stories about Joey’s life: Debbie Harry volunteered Blondie’s services, the Damned flew over from England to participate, and Cheap Trick (whose management helped to organize the event) played some of Joey’s favorite songs.

In addition to Blondie, Cheap Trick and the Damned, the bill included lesser-known groups The Independents, Stop and Bellevue. “[Joey] delighted in getting exposure for bands that usually wouldn’t get it,” said his brother. “These birthday parties were one way that he was able to do that.”

The night’s emcee was Little Steven (a.k.a. Steve Van Zant of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band), a friend and admirer of Joey’s. He opened the show by talking about the courage it took for an ordinary guy from Queens to reshape and revolutionize rock in an era of excess like the '70s. Other speakers taking turns at the microphone throughout the night included original Ramones drummer Tommy Ramone (Tommy Erdelyi), Richard Hell of the Voidoids, record industry heavy Howie Klein, Lenny Kaye of the Patti Smith Group and CBGB’s founder Hilly Kristal. Punk Magazine’s John Holmstrom and Legs McNeil played a montage of Joey’s answering machine messages, which were as endearing as they were hilarious.

Danny Fields, who worked with Jim Morrison as well as Iggy and the Stooges before managing the Ramones, read fan tributes posted on the Internet after Joey’s death. Director of the Ramones’ film “Rock N Roll High School,” Alan Arkush, recalled meeting with the band to discuss the script over a spaghetti dinner; halfway through, he noticed that he was the only one eating, and Joey explained that the group “didn’t like pasta, they liked pizza ... they liked Italian food.”

A gigantic screen above the stage played videotaped birthday messages from artists like Green Day, the Dictators, Sire Records’ head honcho Seymour Stein, and Lars Ulrich of Metallica. Lenny Kaye read a touching note sent by legendary producer Phil Spector, who worked with the Ramones on their fourth album “End of the Century.” Joey himself appeared on the screen from time to time, talking about his life and music. Clips of Ramones performances, television appearances, and videos punctuated the evening, with a particularly blistering live rendition of “Blitzkreig Bop” serving as a reminder of the aural typhoon that the Ramones were capable of creating at will.

Backstage, Damned guitarist Captain Sensible described the Ramones’ widespread influence on the development of rock: “Back in 1976, we got the Ramones’ first album. We put that record on, and it changed everything. And I think without the Ramones and Joey, the punk worldwide that everyone takes for granted would be a different thing entirely.” He described the Ramones’ legendary appearance at London’s Round House on July 4, 1976 as being the beginning of the punk rock movement, and remembered that Joey yanked future members of the Damned, the Stranglers and the Sex Pistols in through the Ramones’ dressing room window so that they could see the show.

Everyone came to share their memories of Joey and the Ramones, and somehow there didn’t seem to be a separation between performers and fans. The show was sold out, and 3,000 people stayed until the very end--a fitting final gesture from the legion of fans whose lives were somehow affected by four guys with three chords.

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