In 1972, Jeff Hyman (aka Joey Ramone) was making the scene at Max's Kansas City and the Mercer Arts Center playing in his band Sniper in concert lineups that included the New York Dolls and Suicide.
"I used to wear this custom-made black jumpsuit, these like pink, knee-high platform boots- all kinds of rhinestones- lots of dangling belts and gloves," Ramone was quoted as saying in I Slept with Joey Ramone: A Punk Rock Family Memoir.
Two years later, Jeff would co-found The Ramones while Sniper's guitarist Frank Infante eventually joined Blondie.
As David Katznelson writes in his essential Signal newsletter, "It is so strange to hear Joey's signature voice not framed by Johnny's guitar or Dee Dee's 1-2-3-4 call out to start each song. Proto-punk? Full on."
