History of Ramones T-Shirts with Monte A. Melnick (Ramones tour manager) & John Holstrom (PUNK Magazine)
The Ramones tour manager Monte A. Melnick and Founder of Punk Magazine John Holstrom sat down with ECC (East Coast Connection) to talk about the history of The Ramones T-Shirt. Tracing back to the beginnings in a loft on 4th street all the way through to the final tour 2,263 shows later. We spoke about how Arturo Vega (The Ramones Artistic Director) came up with the original concept of the eagle and how it changed into the well-known logo of The Ramones. Richard Colligan (Owner of Metropolis Vintage) is the host of the conversation. Richard brought along his extensive collection of Vintage Ramones T-Shirts displayed throughout the entire interview. If you want to see how Rock T-Shirts became a major source of income and developed into a major collectible, watch the video as we revisit the history of The Ramones logo from simple typeface lettering to the Presidential seal logo that is known worldwide.
Metropolis is a shop located at 803 Broadway in Manhattan. We started selling vintage clothing in flea markets back in 1984 in SOHO - a time when downtown seemed like the center of the world, when street artists were pushing their way to the top and cutoff jeans were high fashion. We took hold of a set of keys and opened our first store on Ave B and 6th Street on Feb 1, 1990. Just like the East Village, we have changed over the last 34 years and now reside on Broadway just south of Union Square, but still have the largest and best selection in New York. We do a lot of traveling to find our large collection and I hope you enjoy the clothing we have to offer here. If you're in NYC, please stop by to hang out in the shop and become our customer and friend. Nothing makes us feel better than seeing someone wearing a item purchased from us when we bump into them in a bar or club or show.
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About The Owner
My name is Richard Colligan. While freelancing at various advertising agencies throughout the city and graduating from Pratt Institute in1982, I sold clothes at several flea markets in NYC for extra money. Realizing an interest in fashion, but tired with the elements of outdoor retailing, I took my small business indoors to Avenue B & 10th St in 1990. At the time, fashion was all about "grunge" - the 501 Levi Jeans, flannel shirts, motorcycle jackets, overalls, and army surplus were selling like wildfire and Metropolis was the leading provider.
In 1995, I moved Metropolis to its current location of 3rd Ave & 10th St, which is conveniently situated in the heart of East Village, near St. Marks and many college dorms. Everyone from new college students to seasoned stylists would soon turn to Metropolis for their vintage fashion needs.
Finally, in 2019 we switched to our largest location yet - at 803 Broadway, just a few blocks south of Union Square. As Metropolis approaches it's 34 year anniversary, I hope everyone will come and check out our store, a staple of the NYC vintage community!
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