Cretin Family Ramones Tribute at Hollywood Forever Cemetery 2025

The Ramones got their flowers Sunday night, and Los Angeles delivered. On August 30, the all-star Cretin Family band took the stage at Hollywood Forever Cemetery for a one-night-only tribute to the pioneering New York punk band, marking 50 years since the release of the Ramones' landmark 1976 self-titled debut. Billie Joe Armstrong, Tim Armstrong, Travis Barker, and CJ Ramone anchored the night with a 19-song set that ripped through the catalog without apology.

The venue was fitting. Johnny Ramone is buried at Hollywood Forever, and the cemetery has become one of LA's most culturally charged live spaces. Having the tribute land there, hosted by John Travolta of all people, gave the whole night a slightly surreal, only-in-Los-Angeles quality that felt right for a band as absurdist and beloved as the Ramones.

What the Setlist Looked Like and Who Showed Up

The band did not coast on the hits alone. They blitzed through "Blitzkrieg Bop," "Beat on the Brat," "Havana Affair," "Cretin Hop," "Commando," "Rockaway Beach," "Sheena is a Punk Rocker," "I Wanna Be Sedated," and a cover of The Trashmen's "Surfin' Bird," among others. Nineteen songs in Ramones time is still under an hour. That's the point.

The surprise guests made the night. Fred Armisen, the former SNL cast member and known punk obsessive, sat in for "Danny Says." The Linda Lindas, the LA band who have become genuine standard-bearers for the DIY punk spirit the Ramones helped plant, joined for "I Wanna Be Sedated" and a cover of "California Sun." Then Billy Idol closed the show. Idol's first band, Generation X, came up directly in the Ramones' shadow, and his presence for "Beat on the Brat," GenX's "Ready Steady Go," and a closing "Blitzkrieg Bop" tied the generational thread together cleanly.

Billie Joe Armstrong was visibly amped. In a fan video from the show, he made a point of calling out that he was playing with Travis Barker for the first time ever, and performing alongside CJ Ramone, who held down the bassist role from 1989 to 1996 after Dee Dee departed. All four original Ramones members have passed. Joey in 2001, Dee Dee in 2002, Johnny in 2004, Tommy in 2014. CJ is the living link to that band, and his presence on that stage at Hollywood Forever carried real weight.

Why This Moment Matters Beyond Nostalgia

It would be easy to file this under "legacy tribute" and move on. Don't. The Ramones are not nostalgia for the people in that room. They are the reason half of these artists picked up instruments in the first place. Green Day, Rancid, Blink-182, Generation X, The Linda Lindas: the direct line runs clean. This was not a museum piece. It was a working band made up of people who absorbed those songs into their DNA and played them like they meant it because they do.

For independent artists and creators in LA, there is something worth paying attention to here. Hollywood Forever has become a space where the city's music culture does this kind of work well. One-night-only, site-specific, stacked with people who actually have a relationship to the material. No corporate packaging. The guest list was not announced in advance. The show ran on reputation and community.

If you want to stay close to events like this before they sell out or even get announced, keep an eye on our [events page](/events) where we track what's moving in LA's live and cultural scene. And if you are an artist, band, or creative with something happening in the city, you can always [submit it here](/submit) for consideration.

The Ramones got a proper 50th. LA did the job. Watch for whether this lineup does anything else together, because Billie Joe Armstrong playing with Travis Barker for the first time at age 53 at a cemetery in Los Feliz is exactly the kind of thing that tends to lead somewhere.