Tag: CBGB

Posted on

Burning Down the House

CBGBNO Covers!

That was Hilly Kristal‘s primary rule for CBGB’s on Bowery and Bleeker in New York City. Replacing Hilly’s on the Bowery, CBGB & OMFUG (Country, Bluegrass, and Blues and Other Music For Uplifting Gormandizers) stood at 315 Bowery from its opening in December 1973 until it was closed on October 15, 2006. It was built as a venue for new and upcoming bands to the new york music scene, and ended up becoming the birth of American punk rock scene and was a jump off point for the careers of some of music history’s greatest bands and singers: Patti Smith Group, The Stillettoes (featuring Blondie’s Debbie Harrry), Blondie (under their original name of Angels & the Snakes) The Ramones, Mink DeVille, Talking Heads, Tuff Darts, The Shirts, The Heartbreakers, The Fleshtones and even the Police played here.

The Gorilla Biscuits, the Cro-Mags, Agnostic Front, Sick of it All, Reagan Youth, Warzone, and Youth of Today were all part of New York’s underground hardcore scene started at CBGB’s and kept the bar a float through the 80’s. In 2005, however, the Bowery Resident’s Committee had enough of Hilly and the CB’s crowd and worked to get them removed from the property without compromise. Succeeding in closing the venue for good on October 15, 2006.

I moved to NYC in 05, and never got a chance to experience a show in CBGB’s but I did participate in the ralleys and free shows in Washington Sq to help spread awareness and get support for keeping the venue open. I went last week to the Tribeca Film Festival and watched the only movie of the fest (for me): a documentary called ‘Burning Down the House” The Story of CBGB‘. The show was April 30th, and I had the opportunity after the show to hear a Q&A hosted by Matt Pinfield, with the director (Mandy Stein), Chris Frantz of Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club, Jesse Malin of Heart Attack and DGeneration, and Tommy Ramone of well… The Ramones.

Mandy Stein is the daughter of Seymour Stein, president and co-founder of Sire Records, who launched the recording careers of the Ramones, Talking Heads, and The Pretenders, among many others so it made sense she get access to all the people featured in the making of this film.

I sat solo in the theater surrounded by guests, friends and participants of many of the two dimensional people portrayed or interviewed in the film. It was a good film, not great, by film standards, however, the heart of watching the progression of CBGBs from hole in the wall nothing to, punk glory, to hole in the wall franchise and finally demise was a roller coaster of intense laughs and tears from an audience that was there and lived again vicariously through the digital frames.

[audio:http://www.snuhfiles.com/sound/ramones-teenage_lobotomy.mp3]
The Ramones :: Teenage Lobotomy

[audio:http://www.theyellowstereo.com/June/Talking%20Heads%20-%20Burning%20Down%20The%20House.mp3]
Talking Heads :: Burning Down the House

[audio:http://www.sickofitall.com/soia-nightoff.mp3]
Sick Of It All :: “Take The Night Off”

Posted on

Save CBGBs – Mayor Bloomberg goes Punk

Current Mayor of NY, Bloomberg stated “CBGB, it’s a great New York City institution — it’s more than just another club. We are trying to bring both sides together. … It’s part of our culture. They bring a lot of business here. I don’t think they belong any place else other than New York City.” In other words, “I want to be re-elected with even the aging hippies and hipster haters loving me.”

This has been an on going dispute all year between the oldest running rock and punk club in NYC, CBGBs and their landlord, The Bowery Resident’s Committee, a not-for-profit organization that benefits about 8,000 homeless in the NY area. On August 17th, CBGBs won their court case (which was filed back in Feb of this year) against their landlord, who had sued the club for pay of back rent (approximately $307,000 back in 2001) and even the Judge Joan M. Kenney questioned whether the Committee “with suspect accounting, intentionally orchestrated a scenario that precluded CBGB” from paying the accurate amount on time over the past four years. Full story can be read in this Rolling Stones article “CBGB wins round One”

The Committee still contends they are owed money for raised rent and seems to be intentionally pushing to get the club out by excessively raising the rent over 100% (from $19,000 to $41,000) and taking a stance of non-negotiations for this policy. Needless to say the lease on the place is up today Aug. 31st and there doesn’t seem to be much to be done about it, however, you can voice your opinion through the CBGBs site: HERE

CBGBs has been putting on some benefit shows – (Listed here), however, today at 3 PM (lasts till 7PM) you can go down to Washington Square and catch a free Save CBGBs concert with Blondie, Bouncing Souls, Institute with Gavin Rossdale, Chestfield Kings, The Charms and others. Skip work!! Go Now!!! Go!!!

Now although I haven’t attended a show yet, and may ever after today, I fully empathize with this cause and have known of the culture icon of CBGBs for since getting into the Ramones. The club should be saved to further the movement of the punk, and rock music culture in not just NYC, but all over America (something SF I have recently learned has started to take a back seat in lately, but that?s another blog). Save CBGB Site

“CBGB is the last real rock and roll club,” Steven Van Zandt, of “The Sopranos” and the E Street Band said. “There’s nothing like it left in the world.”