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CBGB, although originally meant to be a folk venue, was quickly taken over by the local emerging punk acts that couldn't find work anywhere else. Kristal's open-mindedness, along with the help of early patrons such a Patti Smith, helped to quickly transform CBGB into a safe haven for punk counterculture not only in New York, but around the world. Over the decades, CBGB saw the genesis of some of the world's best and most influential punk and new wave acts.
The iconic emblems of "CBGB" and "OMFUG" seen on the club's awning and now highly sought-after shirts stand for "Country, Bluegrass, Blues" and "Other Music for Uplifting Gormandizers." CBGB wasn't a punk haven by design; Kristal had originally expected to book the folk acts that were still wildly popular in New York at the time.
The Ramones, considered one of the very first punk bands in America, played their first public show in CBGB on August 16, 1974, effectively kick-starting the punk revolution in New York. CBGB became the home base of the Ramones, and the two would share a close relationship for decades to come.
Before CBGB became the birthplace of American punk music, it was an unsuspecting restaurant called Hilly's on the Bowery, opened by Hilly Kristal. It wasn't until 1973 that two of Kristal's friends recommended that he rebrand his establishment as a music venue and start to book local acts.
The Talking Heads, who would go on to be one of the most successful and influential rock bands in the world, played their first-ever show at CBGB in 1975, as the opening act for the Ramones. People in attendance that night have said they could tell there was something special about their sound as soon as they heard it.
Led by members of CBGB's earliest resident acts, the Revelons, Television quickly became a staple of the CBGB lineup in the mid-1970s. Known for their sparse guitars and poetic lyrics, they were one of the first bands to secure a regular spot at the quickly evolving venue.
Later on, once CBGB was fully established as a punk rock mecca, nationally successful bands started performing at the club as well. One man in particular who played at CBGB every chance he got was Henry Rollins, of Black Flag and Rollins Band fame. Rollins has been quoted as saying, "I still have dreams about CBGB's. I miss the place."
The new wave king of cool, Elvis Costello was another CBGB favorite in the 1970s. Hailing from England, Costello wasn't as common a sight as other bands might have been, but he made sure to stop by the club whenever he was in town.
Hilly Kristal, before opening CBGB, was already well established in the New York City music scene. Born in New Jersey, Kristal originally chased the dream of being a musician himself, but eventually settled into managing the legendary Village Vanguard jazz club before trying his hand at being his own proprietor.
Another band that is forever intertwined with the early years of CBGB is Blondie. Led by the effortlessly charismatic Debbie Harry, Blondie became an instant favorite after their first CBGB show in 1975, and played the venue almost every weekend for the rest of that year before they broke into the mainstream.
The Shangri-Las might have had their heyday as an influential girl group in the 1960s, but their tough and defiant personalities separated them from the rest of the girl groups of the time. In 1977, after nearly a decade of inactivity, the group reunited for one legendary show at CBGB after just two hours of rehearsal.
Brought from Cleveland to New York at the behest of the Ramones, the Dead Boys quickly became one of the most popular acts at CBGB. They were known for their rowdy, sometimes violent performances, and a raw intensity in their music that had rarely been heard in the 1970s.
The original princess of punk, Joan Jett formed the Runaways in Los Angeles when she was only 16, and did exactly that: run away. Once the pioneering, all-girl punk band made it to New York, they became a CBGB favorite.
In the early days of CBGB, before it became an international destination, it was the birthplace of a great many of the most influential bands of the 1970s.
While the Cars's former front man somehow never took the legendary CBGB stage with his original band, Ric Ocasek made appearances in the early 2000s to showcase his solo work. Ocasek also had an impromptu photo shoot in the infamously disgusting CBGB bathroom.
From the beginning, CBGB was known for its anything goes environment. Things stayed mostly respectful during the 1970s, but during the '80s, as the performances moved from classic punk into the quickly emerging hardcore scene, the club became more and more dangerous. After things got out of control one too many times, including an incident where a performer was stabbed by a member of the audience, Hilly Kristal implemented a "no hardcore" rule that lasted for years.
Another veteran group of the early days of CBGB, the Heartbreakers were considered one of the first bands of the American punk movement. A supergroup of sorts, consisting of ex-members of the New York Dolls and Richard Hell, the former bassist of Television, CBGB was the home base of the Heartbreakers.
An artist who embodied CBGB more than possibly any other, Patti Smith was part of the CBGB story from the very beginning. Patti Smith and band member Lenny Kaye were at some of the very first live shows at CBGB, and by 1975 were playing their own shows on stage.
Hilly Kristal (right), always a man of the people, once opened the CBGB Moving Company in order to employ the chronically broke folks that became regulars of his club but never had any money to spend. It was the Moving Company that gave birth to the famous and increasingly rare CBGB & OMFUG shirts.
Hilly Kristal only had two rules for performers at CBGB. The first was that all the bands had to handle their own equipment. Kristal had no interest in hiring extra people just to move equipment. The second was that no cover bands were allowed. It would be nice to think the latter rule was enforced to spur creativity, but Kristal and others have made it clear that Kristal simply didn't want to pay the royalties that would come with cover bands.
For decades, the CBGB awning was one of the most recognizable landmarks in New York. Considering their clientele, it's no surprise that it had to be replaced a few times over the years. While the final awning is kept safe at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, another is kept by a former employee. The original awning? Legend has it it was stolen by punk band Jodie Foster's Army, who allegedly hung it up in their backyard.
Annie Golden, these days famous for playing Norma Romano in the hit series 'Orange Is the New Black,' was first famous for leading the classic punk band the Shirts, who got their start at CBGB and frequented the club throughout the 1970s.
During the late 1980s, after the hardcore ban had been introduced, CBGB saw the genesis of a whole new generation of rock legends who pushed the boundaries of the genre. Sonic Youth, one of the most influential bands of the '80s and '90s, recorded a live concert record at CBGB in 1988.
In April 1977, history was made inside CBGB when British punk band the Damned took the stage. Their legendary performance was the first-ever live show from a British punk band on American soil.
After nearly three glorious decades, the age-old enemies of the punk rock spirit descended upon CBGB in 2000: landlords and rent. The Bowery Resident's Community, who owned the building, claimed that Hilly Kristal owed them US$90,000 dollars in back rent. Kristal took the BRC to court, and won his claim that he didn't owe them a dime. However, the BRC refused to renew Kristal's lease, which ran out in 2005, and so CBGB's days were officially numbered.
For the last five years of its life, CBGB continued business as usual. Kristal had plans to move the whole operation to Las Vegas, famously stating he'd strip the place down, and even take the urinals with him. Unfortunately, CBGB never reopened anywhere, as Kristal died from lung cancer in 2007.
Almost as famous as the CBGB stage was the CBGB bathroom. Consisting of three urinals and a toilet, with no dividers, it didn't take long for every inch of the room to become covered in graffiti, and for the three decades that CBGB was open no one ever made an effort to clean it up.
On October 15, 2006, CBGB had its final night. Superstars who had their humble beginnings within the dark walls of the club thronged in to show their support. The show itself was headed by Patti Smith, who was joined by members of Television, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, and more.
Sources: (Diffuser) (Ranker) (Tone Deaf)
See also: Studio 54: What really happened at the iconic club
Sitting at the intersection of New York's Bowery and Bleecker streets stood CBGB, the birthplace of punk rock and one of the most famous clubs in the world. From its opening in 1973 to its tragic closure in 2006, CBGB was the epicenter of everything sketchy and loud in New York City. Run by a man with a passion for music and dedicated to helping out local acts, CBGB was more than a venue: it was a home and a haven for the punks, outcasts, and misfits of the 1970s that didn't fit into the East Village folk scene, and didn't particularly want to.
To tell the story of CBGB is to tell the story of one of the brightest and loudest eras in music history. Read on to learn all about CBGB, New York's most famous dive bar.
The history and famous faces of the legendary CBGB bar
Inside the birthplace of punk rock
MUSIC New york
Sitting at the intersection of New York's Bowery and Bleecker streets stood CBGB, the birthplace of punk rock and one of the most famous clubs in the world. From its opening in 1973 to its tragic closure in 2006, CBGB was the epicenter of everything sketchy and loud in New York City. Run by a man with a passion for music and dedicated to helping out local acts, CBGB was more than a venue: it was a home and a haven for the punks, outcasts, and misfits of the 1970s that didn't fit into the East Village folk scene, and didn't particularly want to.
To tell the story of CBGB is to tell the story of one of the brightest and loudest eras in music history. Read on to learn all about CBGB, New York's most famous dive bar.