Sun 8/25 @ 1PM
John Thompson, known in Cleveland’s punk scene as Johnny Dromette, was a character. He was widely known as a crabby curmudgeon who’d be friendly only if he thought you were sufficiently cool. Once, when I went into his record store, the Drome, he started griping about an article I wrote, and when I asked him which one he was upset about, he said, “I don’t have to tell you what I’m talking about.” He turned his back on a friend of mine when she went in on her lunch hour in office clothes but was welcoming when she came back in her punk rock gear. And he once took out an ad in Scene for the Drome (originally named “Hideo’s Discodrome”) that advertised “Rude clerks, bad vibes.” It was clearly a delibverate strategy he employed.
That record store, which had three locations from 1976-1980, in Cleveland Heights, Lakewood and finally downtown, was a headquarters for most of Cleveland’s legendary underground and punk bands, from Pere Ubu to the Pagans, some of whom even rehearsed or played in the store. He also ran a couple of labels to release music by the bands he supported, produced underground rock shows, and was an extraordinarily gifted graphic designer, videographer and photographer responsible for Pere Ubu’s iconic look. I recently saw photos he took of the Pagans that were as powerful and evocative as any I’ve seen of a band. He thoroughly knew the music he loved and he understood how to present it. Read more about him here in this piece by Cleveland musician Scott “Cheese” Borger.
Thompson passed away in July at the age of 72, leaving his wife Kathy and two daughters. This weekend, the Beachland will be hosting a celebration of his life. Expect many of Cleveland’s surviving punk royalty to be there. They certain owe him.
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Cleveland, OH 44110