This Ain't No Disco

CBGB just closed. It couldn't afford the rent. It's in the Bowery, but that's gentrification for you.

CBGB was perhaps the most important rock club ever. It opened December 1973, though by the time I saw a show there in 1982 its heyday was over.

Hilly Krystal founded the club, and the name stands for the type of music he thought he'd feature--County, BlueGrass and Blues. (Actually the full name was CBGB & OMFUG--the latter acronym meaning Other Music For Uplifting Gormandizers.) Within in a few months that plan changed, and later, rock music changed.

It was a rare club in those days that would let unknown bands play originals, so CBGB's was a magnet to all the great early punk groups, such as Blondie, The Ramones, Talking Heads and Television. (In fact, the club was immortalized in the Heads' "Life During Wartime.") They all were regulars before any got a recording contract.

I can't remember who was on the bill when I was there, though I do remember how small and dirty the place was. Somehow it seemed seemed right.

Plenty of new bands (mostly hardcore) were introduced in the 80s and 90s, but the club never regained its cachet as THE place to catch new acts. At least it survived long enough to see punk go mainstream. (Is that good?)

Krystal is still around, and plans to relocate to Vegas. Great. It'd fit right into New York New York.