Hey! Ho! Let's go! Ramones tonight at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery

Almost four years have elapsed since Johnny Ramone, guitarist for seminal punk band the Ramones, passed through the pearly gates above. But the DIY spirit he embodied lives on at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, where his ashes are interred under a cenotaph shaped like the guitarist himself, jamming in heaven. Tonight, Ramones fans are invited to the cemetery to remember the man and the legend at a special outdoor event geared around celebrating the guitarist’s legacy. Marky, Tommy and CJ Ramone will be in attendance...

to speak with fans, sign autographs and provide photo ops and vendors will be hawking a variety of Ramones memorabilia.

To sweeten the deal, a Ramones-themed double feature will be screened outdoors on a 24-foot mausoleum wall. A live concert film of the band tearing it up at Provinssirock Fest, Finland, in 1988 precedes a screening of Tod Browning’s creepy and controversial 1932 cult carnival film, “Freaks,” which is rumored to have provided the inspiration behind the Ramones classic, “Pinhead.” Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea will be appearing in person to give behind-the-scenes insights into the 1988 concert. Other celebrity guests are rumored to be in the offing, but if last year’s Ramones festival at the cemetery is any indication, there will be some exciting surprises -- Rob Zombie, Eddie Vedder, Pete Yorn, Henry Rollins and even Lisa Marie Presley turned up to eulogize their icon.

--Jason Gelt

Gates open at 6:30 p.m., with the films starting at 8 p.m. A $10 donation is requested to benefit the Johnny Ramone prostate cancer research charity.

Photo of Ramones in 1988 from Monte Melnick / Los Angeles Times