The Shirts' home at the Stereo Society

'If you were to believe the press, the CB's scene was only made up of a handful of bands but that just wasn't true. There were all kinds of musical styles being represented... and one could even claim the SHIRTS were the precursors to the musical RENT.'

- David Byrne in his afterword to
Thirty Years from the Home of Underground Rock, CBGB & OMFUG
published 2005 by Harry Abrams Inc

We regret to announce the death of Ronnie Ardito, aged 53, on the afternoon of January 5th 2008. He had been dealing with cancer for almost a year.
We will miss him. But his work will survive.

We'll post, shortly, a new set of photos of Ronnie.

New album: Only The Dead Know Brooklyn

The video for the title track is available for free download.
Go check it out.

The Shirts' heydays were in the late seventies. As an integral part of the raucous and classic CBGB's scene, they experimented from their own distinctive musical starting point. During their brush with big-time showbiz, they were managed by Hilly Kristal, who is still the club's owner in 2006 as it prepares to celebrate its 33rd birthday, and then close down (unwillingly) in October. The group reformed in 2003 as a larger ensemble.
Read the story-to-date.

Robert Racioppo and Artie Lamonica, elder statesmen of the Shirts (from Brooklyn), were interviewed in New York on Monday April 21 2003 at 5pm. They spoke fast, since the rehearsal followed with the new, expanded lineup heading for performance at CBGB's on Saturday May 31 2003. Newcomers are Caren Messing (vocals) and Kathy McCloskey (keyboards and vocals). Annie Golden is no longer with the band.