Life During Wartime: What Next for CBGB?

I got to check out the fabled CBGB’s in May 1983 during a stopover on the way to Paris with an interested girlfriend. My old pal Nick Morrow was kind enough to drop us off right in front of the club before peeling away from the Bowery, which has a long-suffering reputation as a skid row kind of area. Me and said girlfriend plunged in, not knowing what to expect. As it turned out, the band was generic but danceable, so we danced -- even though most of the people there sat demurely at tables, sipping drinks and staring at the stage like a zombified arts and cheese crowd right out of Liquid Sky. Regardless, enough people came up to fill the dance area in front of the stage to keep it hopping. Across the way, there was a bar area that looked pretty sophisticated compared to the stage itself. Beyond the pleasure of being there, I don’t remember much else – a good sign or a bad one depending on how you look at it.

The magnetic attraction of CBGB’s was (and is) its history in the showcasing of proto-punk, punk and New Wave acts like Television, the Ramones, the Patti Smith Group, Blondie, Talking Heads, the B52’s, Sonic Youth, the Clash, the Police, Elvis Costello, and so on. For some time now, there’s been a fight between Hilly Kristal, the club manager, and the Bowery Residents’ Committee, which leases out the building and has nearly doubled the monthly fee. A number of bands and former band members and musicians (including, notably, tenacious efforts by Little Steven) have raised money to keep the place open, but from the latest news that I can find, it is set to close on Halloween 2006 – a little over five months from now. What will happen next is anyone’s guess. Being something of a preservationist at heart, I hope that a way can be found to keep it going.

CBGB’s is a slight corruption of the full club name, which is CBGB / OMFUG. This unlikely letter scramble stands for “Country, Bluegrass, and Blues and Other Music for Uplifting Gormandizers.” Not exactly Studio 54, but it’s something.

As of today, the “Save CBGB” website seems to be in some disarray, but the official club site can be found at: www.cbgb.com

Steven Van Zandt’s website is also worth checking out. It’s fun, informative, and the front page includes a “painted lady,” perhaps a go-go dancer, holding what looks like either a rose or carnation. Curious? Click to www.littlesteven.com and see for yourself.

A salute and thanks to CBGB’s, Little Steven and all those great bands!