Everybody Needs a Home

Homer has Moe’s. Arnold Ziffle had Hooterville. Peter Griffin has the Drunken Clam. Every boy, girl, woman, man and child needs a home, some place where they can let it all hang out, be themselves, and find themselves.

The Dictators had CBGBs. Love it or lump it, that hallowed dump was theirs. Between benefits, farewell shows, Joey’s birthdays, BBC broadcasts, DVD recordings and more farewell shows, they must have played there 75 times over the years. The very first time took place on this day in 1976, when they set the Monday attendance record at the club.

The show got off with a literal bang, as they blew the electricity in the middle of the first song! Manitoba said it all with “It’s just a simple fact of life — no place in the world can supply enough power for us!”

This gig marked the “return” of Andy Shernoff to the band after a brief period of steppin’ out, and it also marked the debut performance of “Sleepin’ with the TV On” and “Tender Was the Night.” “Tender” was a one-time collaboration between Richard Meltzer and Top Ten.

The set lists from 7/26/76:

1st set:
1. Next Big Thing
2. Weekend
3. Backseat Boogie
4. Master Race Rock
5. Steppin’ Out
6. Sleeping with the TV On
7. Disease
8. Two Tub Man

2nd set:

9. California Sun
10. Tits To You
11. Search and Destroy
12. Tender was the Night
13. Tallahassie Lassie
14. Next Big Thing
15. America the Beautiful
16. Two Tub Man
17. Master Race Rock

— Salvi C.