Fifty years ago today, on 11 August 1976, the Ramones played their first West Coast shows at the Roxy in Los Angeles, bringing New York's fledgling punk sound to a city that remained largely unconvinced by it. Despite having already released their debut album, signed to Sire Records and played influential London gigs the previous month that helped inspire bands such as the Clash and the Sex Pistols, the band still faced considerable scepticism from the Californian press and public.

Ahead of the shows, Los Angeles Times critic Robert Hilburn wrote a dismissive review questioning whether the Ramones were a genuine artistic threat or simply a joke, arguing they lacked the imagination of Patti Smith, the artistry of Bruce Springsteen and the "fury and growl" of Aerosmith, and doubting their authenticity. The band played back-to-back nights at the Roxy on 11 and 12 August 1976, at a time when mainstream tastes were dominated by acts such as Elton John, Kiki Dee and Yes, with the Ramones' gigs receiving only minor billing in the LA Times listings.