A little place in a big city, known for being the birthplace of NYC punk and having a horrendous bathroom, CBGB would see some big-name bands and artists perform their first ever shows. Some little-known bands like…the Ramones, Television, Blondie, the Patti Smith Group, Talking Heads, Misfits, many more had their starts in this little club. But whatever could this club have been like? Let’s go to New York City and travel back to December 10th, 1973, when CBGB first opened its doors.
CBGB stands for Country, Bluegrass & Blues. But wait, don’t we know the club’s legacy as being in punk rock and new wave? Exactly, the “CBGB” was the owner Hilly Kristal’s original plan for the club’s genres, but the place soon grew into a punk palace where the music played there blossomed into what we know today. CBGB had two rules for its performers; 1. Move your own equipment, and 2. Play your own songs. Pretty simple stuff I’d say. Hilly encouraged originality of artists more than anything else, especially more than genre.
CBGB’s era was cut off shortly into the new millennia as in 2005, Kristal received $90,000 of demanded payments from their landlord, and the landlord demanded the rent be raised from the normal $19,000 a month up to $55,000! Its final concert was held on October 15th, 2006, and featured Patti Smith as the headliner. Finishing the show with a performance of Van Morrison’s “Gloria” and ending it with “Elegie” a song and elegy of musicians and music figures who had died since the club’s founding.
The punk palace might be gone but its legacy still remains. Oh, and so does its banner! The second version of the iconic CBGB banner is located in Cleveland Ohio’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame museum, just right over the food stand. Additionally, CBGB still keeps the feel alive with their CBGB Festival! This year featuring Morrissey, Patti Smith, Interpol, Sex Pistols, and many, many more artists, all keeping punk alive. Hilly Kristal’s CBGB was an incredible building where many careers were built, and you can even hear about its glory through his own words on their website.
