Ramones were No.1 at Rodon
The recent closure of the Rodon Club – the country’s first-ever rock venue to become a fixture on the international indie-band circuit – nearly 18 years after it was first launched, amounted to the end of an era. Despite the operator’s intentions to soon relaunch the business at a new downtown Athens address – the building’s owner opted not to renew the lease contract – feelings of nostalgia for the original venue have run high among regulars. Reflecting this overall mood, the recently launched music magazine Sonik’s latest edition features an extensive tribute to the club’s history with articles penned by leading local music authorities, photos, and the results of a readers’ poll on their favorite Rodon show ever, conducted by Avopolis, a well-informed Greek music website that is affiliated with Sonik magazine. The Ramones gathered the leading number of votes among Avopolis readers. The New York punk act was followed by veteran rock legend Iggy Pop, who had played three nights at the venue in the late ’80s, then Belgian group Deus, post-rock collective Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Primal Scream, Franz Ferdinand, Moby, superstar Manu Chao’s former band Mano Negra, and the Inspiral Carpets. The photos provided for the magazine’s tribute were culled by five locally based photographers who had regularly covered shows at the historic venue.
