FEATURE:
Rags to Riches in the East Village
ILLUSTRATION CREDIT: Michael Borthwick
Celebrating and Remembering Fifty Years of CBGB
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I am going to…
start out with some Wikipedia background and summary about the iconic CBGB club. Previously based in East Village, Manhattan, it closed its doors in 2006. The reason I am marking the venue is because it opened its doors on 10th December, 1973. It is coming up to its fiftieth anniversary. It may seem quite minor in terms of music history and the impact CBGB had, though consider the artists who passed through there and how crucial it was for given underground artists (at the time) a platform, and that should tell you how cherished and important it was. Perhaps getting a reputation for one of the edgier and more controversial venues around the East Village – which was part of its charm! -, it was also one of the most characterful and loved. I will come to some deeper articles in a second. For now, an overview of this incredible and legendary spot:
“CBGB was a New York City music club opened in 1973 by Hilly Kristal in Manhattan's East Village. The club was previously a biker bar and before that was a dive bar. The letters CBGB were for Country, Bluegrass, and Blues, Kristal's original vision, yet CBGB soon became a famed venue of punk rock and new wave bands like the Ramones, Television, Patti Smith Group, Blondie, and Talking Heads. From the early 1980s onward, CBGB was known for hardcore punk.
One storefront beside CBGB became the "CBGB Record Canteen", a record shop and café. In the late 1980s, "CBGB Record Canteen" was converted into an art gallery and second performance space, "CB's 313 Gallery". CB's Gallery was played by music artists of milder sounds, such as acoustic rock, folk, jazz, or experimental music, such as Dadadah, Kristeen Young and Toshi Reagon, while CBGB continued to showcase mainly hardcore punk, post punk, metal, and alternative rock. 313 Gallery was also the host location for Alchemy, a weekly Goth night showcasing goth, industrial, dark rock, and darkwave bands.[4][5] On the other side, CBGB was operating a small cafe and bar in the mid-1990s, which served classic New York pizza, among other items.
Around 2000, CBGB entered a protracted dispute over allegedly unpaid rent amounts until the landlord, Bowery Residents' Committee, sued in 2005 and lost the case, but a deal to renew CBGB's lease, expiring in 2006, failed. The club closed upon its final concert, played by Patti Smith, on October 15, 2006.[8] CBGB Radio launched on the iHeartRadio platform in 2010, and CBGB music festivals began in 2012.[9] In 2013, CBGB's onetime building, 315 Bowery, was added to the National Register of Historic Places as part of The Bowery Historic District (not a New York City Historic District)”.
It is a shame that the closure of CBGB in 2006 dwindled the Punk scene in New York. Almost the last sign of the past glory and energy that ran through that club. Not that the music scene in Manhattan lacks today. It is just that there was this whole culture and scene that was blazing in the 1970s. In October 2006, as The New York Times reported, some important faces attended the closing of the fabulous CBGB:
“She had played there many times over the last three decade, but last night, before making her last appearance there, Patti Smith made sure to snap a picture of CBGB.
“I’m sentimental,” she said as she stood on the Bowery and pointed an antique Polaroid toward the club’s ragged, soiled awning, and a mob of photographers and reporters gathered around her.
Last night was the last concert at CBGB, the famously crumbling rock club that has been in continuous, loud operation since December 1973, serving as the casual headquarters and dank incubator for some of New York’s most revered groups — Ms. Smith’s, the Ramones, Blondie, Talking Heads, Television, Sonic Youth — as well as thousands more whose blares left less of a mark on history but whose graffiti and concert fliers might still remain on its walls.
After a protracted real estate battle with its landlord, a nonprofit organization that aids the homeless, CBGB agreed late last year to leave its home at 313 and 315 Bowery at the end of this month. And Ms. Smith’s words outside the club, where her group was playing, encapsulated the feelings shared by fans around the city and around the world: CBGB is both the scrappy symbol of rock’s promise and a temple that no one wanted to see go.
“CBGB is a state of mind,” she said from the stage in a short preshow set for the news media whose highlight was a medley of Ramones songs.
“There’s new kids with new ideas all over the world,” she added. “They’ll make their own places — it doesn’t matter whether it’s here or wherever it is.”
Crowds had been lined up outside since early yesterday morning for a chance to see Ms. Smith and bid farewell to the club, in an event that was carefully orchestrated to maximize media coverage. Television news vans were parked on the Bowery as fans with pink hair, leather jackets and — the most popular fashion statement of the night — multicolored CBGB T-shirts (but not necessarily tickets) waited to be let in and Ms. Smith’s band played a short set for the assembled press.
Curiosity about the club’s last night was mingled with harsh feelings about its fate.
“It’s the cultural rape of New York City that this place is being pushed out,” said John Nikolai, a black-clad 36-year-old photographer from Staten Island whose tie read “I quit.”
Added Ms. Smith outside the club, “It’s a symptom of the empty new prosperity of our city.”
The end of a long and painful denouement for a punk-rock institution.
Ms. Smith was CBGB’s last booking as well as one of its first. In the 1970’s, she was the oracular poet laureate of the punk scene, and her seven-week residency in 1975 is still regarded by connoisseurs as the club’s finest moment. With an open booking policy, its founder, Hilly Kristal, nurtured New York rock’s greatest generation, and in turn those groups made CBGB one of the few rock clubs known by name around the world.
“When we first started there was no place we could play, so we ended up on the Bowery,” said Tom Erdelyi, better known as Tommy Ramone, the group’s first drummer and only surviving original member. “It ended up a perfect match”.
Let’s go back a bit further. It is important to understand why CBGB was so important to so many people – and why its closure was a sad and unfortunate occasion. It must have been heady and wonderful being there. In 2012, Helen Todner wrote a feature for With Guitars concerning the legendary and legacy that comes with CBGB. I wanted to sources some parts of the deep and wonderful feature:
“So let’s start with the facts. There was a bar on 315 Bowery and Becker Street long before CBGB’s came into being but in 1973 Hilly Kristal revamped what had been and opened County, Blue Grass and Blues (CBGB’s or CB’s as it was often known as). This was what the bar had intended to play from the start and it did at first, playing host to the likes of Magic Tramps, The Fast, and Suicide all of which laid the foundations and built the clubs reputation for live music. It was a strange layout for a venue being long and narrow; with the stage at one end and the bar stretching along one side with just enough room to squeeze between the tables but the sound was second to none and was definitely a key factor when bands began coming to play on a regular basis. Even the legendary New York Dolls played there and were hailed as Royalty by the burgeoning scene there. In 1974 things were beginning to change rapidly and bands such as The Ramones, Talking Heads, The Heartbreakers, Blondie, and The Shirts started making appearances there. As the clubs reputation grew new bands from outside of the New York area took to the stage.
During the 80’s it became one of the must go to venues for touring bands and the now infamous matinee Sundays were introduced. These low priced gigs helped to launch many a band including Murphy’s Law, Beastie Boys, The Misfits, Leeway, and Sick Of It All. They also became known for some of the most raucous and violent events going and in 1990 Kristal put a stop to the Sunday events in order to curb the bloodshed but he didn’t abandon the hard-core music and instead of scrapping it altogether changed the times of his bookings. This strategy worked and though still boisterous there was no longer the level of aggression that had plagued the venue during the 80’s matinee years. During the 90’s big name bands such as Guns ‘N’ Roses and Korn began to play the club.
Things went smoothly for over a decade until in 2005, a dispute with Bowery Residents ‘Committee over rent, pushed CBGB’s out of the black and deep into the red. Krystal fought this for over a year but, tragically, the club could not be saved and on October 15th 2006 CBGB’s closed its doors for the final time. During the last week of live music CBGB’s featured live performances from Blondie, The Dictators, Bad Brains, Avail, and The Bouncing Souls. The final gig, performed by Pattie Smith, was broadcast on Sirius Satellite Radio and included guest appearances from Red Hot Chili Peppers Flea and TV’s Richard Lloyd. After the live performance Pattie Smith performed ‘Elegie’ listing all the artist who had performed at CBGB’s and who are no longer with us.
Alas it is no more a mecca for music but now hosts a huge range of designer clothes with the scariest price tags you can imagine, far too many numbers before the decimal point! It has been gentrified like so much of New York s that unless you are on a silly amount of money you simple can’t afford to live there anymore. A far cry from Hilly’s ethos that money was secondary to life as he never set up CBGB’s to make money from it; he did it because he loved music. “I realise one thing I haven’t done through the years is put the emphasis on making money.”
So there you have the bare bones facts of CBGB’s but I’m still no closer to really understanding just what it was like to be there. So in an attempt to find out more our lovely editor here at With Guitars, Steve got busy doing his whole social network guru thing and what do you know he even got a few responses! The first to get back in touch with us was Donna Destri (sister to Blondie keyboardist Jimmy Destri) who performed as a backing singer for the band in the studio. She was kind enough to take time out from her own busy life to tell us a little about the club and the music scene in New York.
How did you first hear about CBGB’s?
“Paul Zone, who was not yet the singer of the fast in the early seventies, functioned as a social director for the lot of us kids from Brooklyn who didn’t have a clue as to where to go or what to do. We started out going to places like the 82 Club, Lady Astors and the Mercer Arts centre (where I saw the NY Dolls for the first time). Mickey Ruskin still owned Max’s Kansas City which was the watering hole for the Warhol people, so Paul kind of discovered CBGB’s for us. He was very friendly with Debby Harry and Stiletto (an early incarnation of Blondie) played there frequently. Soon Mickey Ruskin sold Max’s to Tommy Dean and that is when the downtown scene had bands vie to play Max’s and CB’s.”
What were your first impressions of CBGB’s and what was it actually like the first time you walked in to it?
“Honestly, compared to Max’s I thought it was a shithole. It was dirty and dark and you had the feeling that rats were going to scurry across your feet. I’ll tell you this though, the sound was excellent there.”
How did you feel the first time you took to the stage at CBGB’s?
“Well, it was packed, I remember, so it was quite exhilarating! CBGB’s had a certain vibe though… On stage there you could feel you were like the Beatles playing at the Cavern Club. The audience could come right up to the stage and people were packed in. In other clubs, not so much Max’s but the bigger clubs that came along later ,like Hurrah’s, Danceteria, and the Ritz, people could mill around more so you sort of lost the intimacy of people coming right up to the stage. Nothing provides a performer more energy than an audience that is right there and totally into the performance.”
What is your most enduring memory from your time at CBGB’s?
“My most enduring memory of CBGB’s has to be the bathroom. It was the most disgusting bathroom I’ve ever been in in my life! At any given time the floor was covered in dog and/or human faeces…Absolutely gross. And to think people (who shall remain nameless) had sex down there!!”
Did you ever go to see others perform at CBGB’s and if so who?
“Yes definitely. We went to see whoever was performing.(Television, Talking Heads, Blondie, The Ramones, The Mumps, The Fast, Milk and Cookies, The Heartbreakers…oh so many—too many to name! In those days we went out every single night! I always say it and I’ll say it again. There has never been a music scene in this city like there was back then and I don’t think there ever again will be! I remember some nights walking back and forth between Max’s and CBGB’s because we wanted to catch bands that were playing at both clubs on the same night. It was an awesome time for music, truly!”
It wasn’t just Blondie who played there in the 70’s though and the club”.
It is no exaggeration in saying that CBGC is one of the most important music venues ever. At a time when we have so many spaces closing down, it made me think about the iconic club in Manhattan. How it was reduced to almost nothing. That is one of the most galling things! How, once proud and very much vibrant, where it stands now there is very little of its existence. I have another feature to drop in after this one from Guitar Guitar. They wrote in 2020 about the club that changed the world:
“Within that year, The Ramones had made their debut along with Angel and the Snake, (later renamed Blondie) and CBGB started to develop a reputation. There was a seemingly unstoppable stream of explosive and forward-thinking music being created within its walls and bands all over America were taking notice. The club had two rules - 1. Bands must provide and move their own equipment. 2. No cover bands - aside from this, you were essentially free to take your set and the audience for that matter, wherever you wanted.
With the club's rep and the music scene it was known for quickly gathering momentum, documentary filmmakers began to film live shows and it's amazing to get a real look inside the venue with such high-quality footage for when it was filmed. The years following saw a roster of acts play that's pretty staggering to look back on. Elvis Costello supported the Vodoids, The Damned became the first UK Punk band to playa gig in America, The Cramps, the Talking Heads, The Police, Joan Jett and Blondie all made it their New York haunt. CBGB even became one of the first homes of Hardcore Punk in the city with its own Thrash Night which ran right through to the 90's when crowds became too much for the venue to handle.
Unfortunately, nothing this important can last forever and CBGB ran into problems in the early 2000s after a disagreement with their landlord. Although Kristal was keen to keep it open as long as possible and even won a court battle regarding overdue rent, their landlord refused to lease the club again and essentially put a ticking clock over the venue. They had to be out by October 15th, 2006.
In a last-ditch effort to save the club, an unbelievable lineup of artists played in its final months, culminating in a huge last week which featured many of the band's who'd started out at CBGB's, or been a part of its early scene. Alongside that were a whole host of bands who'd been influenced by the early new wave and punk movement that it housed got on board but sadly, it was in vain. On October 15, 2006, Patti Smith played her final show on the club's stage and it closed its doors forever.
Now a clothing store, the only part of the CBGB legacy that remains is a small etching into the concrete out front which says "CBGB '73". It's funny how something so culturally significant can largely disappear but make no mistake, the music world will never forget the 30 odd years of chaos, carnage and brilliance that came from these humble beginnings. Credited as the birthplace of American punk, Kristal may not have known what he was starting but by providing a venue where young, raw and passionate bands could express themselves and develop their sound, a whole genre flourished and his club left a mark on the world that couldn't be erased, even if it was just scratched into the concrete. It goes to show you how important it is to have these spaces - you never know what might come next. Gabba Gabba Hey!”.
Earlier this year, American Songwriter wrote about the legacy of CBGB. Naming five acts that helped define Punk Rock, they all have to give thanks to this incredible club. One that opened its doors fifty years ago on 10th December. I am not sure that we will see in our lifetimes anywhere like it again. It is one of these one-off venues that was perfect for the time and location. Maybe similar to Studio 51 in a way, these brilliant spaces burned bright in their regency:
“CBGB is more than just a logo on a shirt. Before it concluded its last show in 2006, it was a punk rock dungeon. The stage was angled off to the side with ceiling monitors. The monitors hung so low that if you weren’t careful you’d knock your head against them. And the bathrooms were a special kind of filth only humans are capable of producing.
But would you want a punk rock club any other way? CBGB is responsible for some of the most important bands and one of the most important musical movements of the 20th century.
1. Television
Television might be the true godfathers of punk rock. A mixture of Velvet Underground art-rock and garage rock, the band was led by Tom Verlaine. His Fender Jazzmaster guitar sounded tense and angular. Verlaine sang in a pinched manner with poetic lyrics that didn’t fit neatly into “punk rock” (which is in itself punk). His guitar playing was exploratory and beautiful, like a jazz musician. “Marquee Moon” in all its Mixolydian, nearly 11-minute glory, is peak Verlaine. Richard Hell, the band’s bassist and co-singer, looked like what we now recognize as punk rock. Television are arguably the most influential band to come out of the New York punk scene.
2. Patti Smith Group
Patti Smith and Lenny Kaye attended one of Television’s first gigs at CBGB. Soon they’d be playing their own gigs at the bar. Smith, being both a woman and a poet, contrasted the machismo associated with punk rock. She was a part of two New York worlds: those of both music and literature. Smith is a romantic rebel, a National Book Award winner, and a New York punk rock legend. She appeared at CBGB’s final show in 2006.
3. Blondie
Debbie Harry and Chris Stein formed Blondie in New York City in 1974. They’d already played CBGB in other bands, but Blondie would bridge the gap between punk and New Wave. The band also bridged the gap from the New York underground to mainstream success as Harry became nothing less than a pop culture icon.
4. Talking Heads
The first Talking Heads gig saw them opening for the Ramones. The early minimalism of David Byrne’s group would grow to include more instruments and more sounds from around the world.
Stabbing guitars and Afrobeat defined a band born on the art side of punk. And not for nothing: a Talking Heads song is the reason a British band originally called On a Friday now calls themselves Radiohead.
5. Ramones
The Ramones are considered the first punk rock group. Legend says the Ramones’ first gig at CBGB lasted only 12 minutes. The band is analogous with both the punk rock genre and CBGB. The punk family tree simply doesn’t exist without one or the other. These four guys in leather jackets, led by Joey Ramone (all band members took on the “Ramone” surname), played two-minute songs to limited commercial success. But history is a long game, and the Ramones are now cultural icons who are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame”.
I was keen to explore CBGB. It opened on 10th December, 1973. Few people knew how it would grow and the way it would be written into music history. Sure, it was quite grimy and raw, though it was a Punk Rock club. It was always going to be like that. It was a personality and atmosphere that enticed in some future legends. From Television and Blondie through to Ramones, CBGB hosted some of the greatest and most influential artists ever. For that reason, it is only right to salute…
THE historic and iconic CBGB.