The death of a legacy
Although great and notable acts like Television, Blondie, Patti Smith, Talking Heads and The Ramones all called this place home, CBGB was so much more than just what people saw on the outside.
CBGB was one of the greatest cornerstones in the evolution of independent music in the United States, but more specifically, on the East Coast. It gave a home for misfit acts that couldn’t get gigs anywhere else. It was a place created to house country, bluegrass and blues bands, but ended up being a hub for a culture that was searching for a home. The music that came from this gritty sub-culture that oozed from the corner of Bowery helped to form the future of music for years to come.
Even after a year of battling and finally winning in court, owner Hilly Kristal was forced to shut the club’s door after the building’s owners refused to renew the lease. On Sept. 30, 2006, CBGB closed its doors forever. The last act to play the stage was Patti Smith, who was one of the first acts to pave the road for other acts, like The Police and Guns and Roses. Shortly after the closure, Kristal announced that he was moving the club to Las Vegas.
Only one word comes to my mind as to how I feel about the move: disgrace. Although the original building is staying in the same location, Kristal is trying to take many of the original items from inside to Sin City.
CBGB was more than just a stage, a bar and a urinal that Joey Ramone peed in. It was an entire culture. CBGB was a symbol for an alternative to mainstream music. Now they want to take the memory of this great phenomenon and slather it with glitz and glamour by tossing it into one of the most commercial places in the world. Not to mention that the East Coast musical culture that came from CBGB and West Coast musical culture have always been very distinct. To mix them together is sacrilegious.
I might be stuck in the 1970s when CBGC was the island of misfit bands, but there is so much rich history that will be destroyed by this move. I do not understand why the club that supported a New York culture could not stay in New York so more East Coast misfits would have a place to call home.
