The legend of CBGB had overshadowed the place for a very long time. In the 70s and 80s, it was the center of the NYC punk and underground scene. Then, as the years rolled on, it became little more than a run-down bar with a cattle-call approach to booking bands.
Toward the end of it’s existence, the club did see a resurgence in it’s reputation. This was mainly thanks to the return of those performers who were responsible for making the club legendary in the first place.
Even during the lean years there was a thrill that came from playing CBGB. That reputation was enough to excite the young guitarist in me. I would walk over there on my lunch hour every Thursday to poke my head in the door and ask for a gig.
Once I got those gigs, I’d find that owner Hilly Kristal and his staff were seriously good to their bands. Despite their cattle-call booking policies, they were one of the few places in NYC that actually paid a guaranteed minimum to us.
Recently, I came across a virtual tour online that yanked me down memory lane. I sat and stared, trying to find one of my stickers on the caked-up walls of propaganda. It’s hosted by a merchandising company called Bravado who handles CBGB swag.
I emailed the contact info on the website to see when this was created. So far, no reply. I pulled out old photos to see if I could deduce the date by comparison. No luck. So then I decided to got back looking for any evidence of my visits there. Again, no luck.
I remember this view (minus the funky arrows, of course)
It was fun wandering thru the club and seeing Hilly at his desk.
To whoever created this … thank you.
See Also:
CBGB Virtual Tour
CBGB & OMFUG
Bravado
