Ground Zero

CBGB's circa 1985

Every movement has a beginning, a pinpoint in time where all the collective energy comes to a head and something changes forever. Sometimes, it’s a particular location that is at the epicenter of the growing storm. In 1974, no one had ever heard of punk rock before. The closest thing to it were the numerous garage bands of the 1960’s with their raw, unrefined sound, but garage was still a cautious echo of what was to come.

In New York City, the epicenter of the growing storm was located at 315 Bowery at Bleecker Street in Manhattan.  Club CBGB opened in December, 1973 by owner Hilly Kristal who officially called the new club “Country Bluegrass Blues and Other Music for Uplifting Gormandizers” (CBGB OMFUG), but in short order, the club would simply be referred to as “CB’s”. Originally, the venue was so named due to the type of music that Hilly intended to bring in, but soon he was booking original rock acts with the stipulation that the bands had to play all original material, no covers allowed and they had to move all their own equipment. In reality, the no-covers rule was less about inspiring creativity and more about Hilly wanting to avoid paying any ASCAP royalties for compositions that were performed.

One of the first proto-punk bands to play at CBGB’s was a New York based group called “Television” with Tom Verlaine and Richard Hell (Richard Lester Meyers) as front men and song writers. it was during Television's third gig at CB's on April 17th, 1974 that Patti Smith and Lenny Kaye just happened to be in the audience and were inspired by what they saw.  The Patti Smith Group made their own debut at CB’s on February 14^th, 1975. Soon, other original bands were lining up to play at the new venue.  One band that supported Television was a group called The Stillettos featuring Chris Stein, Elda Gentile, Amanda Jones and a former Playboy Bunny by the name of Deborah Harry. Soon, Stein and Harry formed a new band briefly called “Angel and the Snake”, before changing their name to “Blondie”, which as legend has it, was in reference to the various rude comments including “Hey Blondie!” made by construction workers and truck drivers towards Debbie Harry.

Joe Ramone in the men's room of CBGB's

On August 16^th, 1974, a quartet of leather jacket clad young men took the stage at CB’s. Calling themselves “The Ramones”, their songs were short, (most under two minutes) fast and very loud. Punk Magazine co-founder Legs McNeil was at that show and said this of The Ramones “They were all wearing these black leather jackets, and they counted off this song……..and it was just this wall of noise. They looked so striking, these guys were not hippies. This was something completely new.” Soon, The Ramones became regular performers at CB’s playing a total of 74 times by the end of the year.

Word started to get around about this new music scene that was quickly growing out of CBGB’s and soon bands like The Heartbreakers, The Fleshtones, Talking Heads, The Shirts and a trio from England called “The Police” were lining uo to play there. It was during this time that the club started to get its reputation as New York’s dirtiest nightclub as the interior of the place, all 3,300 square feet of it, was soon covered in graffiti, memorabilia, posters and playbills all mashed together. 

The bathrooms were so foul it’s a small miracle the board of health didn’t try and close the place down.

As the original punk scene started to wane in the late 1970’s a new form of punk began with the introduction of hardcore. Hardcore was the angry white kids music of the early 1980’s and it was hardcore that would keep CBGB’s alive during the 1980’s. CBGB’s began to hold Sunday afternoon “matinee” shows featuring  such groups as “Bad Brains”, “Beastie Boys”, “Agnostic Front”, “The Misfits”,  “Cro-Mags” and “Sheer Terror”. With the introduction of new hardcore punk acts, there came another, darker side to CB’s; violence both inside the club and outside as well. Mosh pits generally don’t foster a sense of brotherly love and mutual understanding, so fights became commonplace during these hardcore matinee shows. By 1990, Hilly simply refused to book any more hardcore bands due to this ongoing violence.  However, he soon relented and hardcore punk shows were brought back in diminished numbers.

By the early 2000’s, CBGB’s was firmly established as not only a New York landmark but also as a cultural icon as well. Despite this, the $19,000 a month rent still had to be paid. By 2005 a dispute arose between the club and the Bowery Residents Committee who claimed that Kristal owed them over $91,000 in back rent due to an increase that he claims he was not informed about.  Kristal, who at this time was sick with lung cancer, attempted to get historic landmark status for the club, but was unsuccessful.  The club simply had to close. The final concert at CBGB’s was held on October 15^th, 2006 and featured Patti Smith with Richard Lloyd of Television as a guest vocalist. Earlier, Bad Brains, The Dictators and Blondie all performed that week leading up to the final show. This was a more or less a “wake” for the club with all the performers who got their start at CB’s were now returning to say goodbye to it. Hilly Kristal died on August 28^th, 2007. He was 75 years old.

CBGB's location today

Today, the location of CBGB’s is now a high end men’s fashion store run by John Varvatos who actually preserved much of the graffiti covering the bathroom stalls along with a number of playbills that were found behind a wall.  The famed awning from CBGB’s is now housed in the lobby of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.