A Man in a Panama on the Bowery

Last week I spotted a man wearing a stiff panama on the corner of Bleecker and the Bowery waiting for the change of lights. I couldn't recall ever seeing a man in a Panana on the Bowery. I knew the Boulevard 9f was wearing a straw Italian fedora. I approached the man and complimented his hat. We traversed the avenue together and walked with him to Bowery Market

I asked his name and he said, "Charlie, I do the sound here." walked with him to Bowery Market

Charlie Sound the Bowery. walked with him to Bowery Market

"Are Charlie from CBGBs?" walked with him to Bowery Market

"Yes."

And with that I was transported to another time__

In December 1976 I was walking down the Bowery to my SRO room on West 11th Street. A thin fall of snow covered the sidewalk. I heard a band playing a breakneck cover of the Rivieras' CALIFORNIA SUN from inside a white-stuccoed bar with a white stucco front. I walked inside the wooden door, paid my admission, and walked to the stage, mesmerized by the leather-jacketed quartet. In less than a minute I was hooked by the Ramones and still am to punk to this day.

Charlie's sound was a big part of it. The Dead Boys, Ramones, Richard Hell, Guadalcanal,Brenda in the lady's room,Alice funny as hell, Xcessive, Kim,my cousin, the Revelons, a softball game against the Angels, The Johnny Blitz benefit et al

Charlie Martin. Long-haired genius. mono sound with ad four inputs with rotary knobs, bass and treble, and a master with mono. CBGBs sound supreme. Charlie's now working at the Country Western bar next to Bowery Market. It's good to be back in the City, where ghosts come alive__

The Ramones - California Sun 1976

Thank you, Charlie__

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Much more to come.