“Now I can die happy!” exclaims a man in the restroom line after Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg finishes their set at Katalin in Uppsala on October 31, 2026. “I was born the same year they called it quits,” he continues, “and I knew I’d never get to see them, but now I pretty much have.” After a little over an hour of Ramones classics, I am wearing a smile—one only broadened by the young man’s enthusiasm.

All the original members of the Ramones have passed away. However, 74-year-old drummer Marky Ramone is still alive; he first joined the band back in 1978 and spent the majority of the band’s active years behind the kit. For quite some time now, he has been touring with his band Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg, playing Ramones songs. The names of the other three band members aren’t mentioned in the promo material ahead of the gig, and perhaps that doesn’t matter. They serve as stand-ins for Joey, Johnny, and Dee Dee Ramone, and they do a great job.

Katalin’s main hall is packed nearly to capacity tonight. It’s crowded, sweaty, and the crowd is buzzing. A bit like CBGB in New York back in the day, perhaps. In other words, ideal conditions for real rock ’n’ roll. It also turns into an invigorating blast of energy the moment Marky Ramone and the band hit the stage. They rip through around 30 songs in 70 minutes at full throttle. Stage banter is virtually nonexistent, songs bleed directly into one another, and it’s almost entirely hits. If you were to compile an album of the Ramones’ greatest hits and finest tracks, you could copy this setlist straight through.

“Beat on the Brat,” “Sheena Is a Punk Rocker,” “I Wanna Be Sedated,” “The KKK Took My Baby Away,” “Pet Sematary,” and “Blitzkrieg Bop” are just a few of the songs they manage to fit in. Marky Ramone mostly stays put behind his drum kit. The only thing indicating he is the star of the show comes right before the encores, when he walks up to center stage to wave to the audience.

A superb evening, a mostly fantastic crowd, and the closest to seeing the Ramones I’ll ever get. That said, back when the Ramones were still active, people weren’t waving smartphones in the crowd. Joey Ramone wouldn’t have recognized that at all, had he suddenly risen from the dead. Pretty much everything else, though, he would have recognized instantly.