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CBGB's Closes With Tight Rock Gig Celebration
Country, BlueGrass, and Blues (& "Other Music For Uplifting Gormandizers") -- Hilly Kristal made it that and a lot more at the legendary music club.
As David Bryne once said, "This must be the place." Last night, it was...as gritty as ever.
CBGB hosted its final concert Sunday night, broadcast on Sirius, after a 33-year residence in downtown New York as the iconic, grungy bastion of punk. Although the concert biz has been trending up for the past couple of years, the small club scene has been struggling for a long time.
Talking Heads. Lou Reed. Blondie. Television. Ramones. New York Dolls. And thousands of other bands, from veteran acts to purely local artists with a strong loyal following (Lorraine Ferro!) to young let-me-muster-up-the-courage-to-try-it-once bands.
Count me as someone who's been there many times, squeezed into the barely-300 seat club to catch some street level NYC music scene. Being tall helps.
The concert, headlined by rock poet Patti Smith, was to be the final note sounded in a drawn-out battle to preserve the legendary club, whose lease ran out after a long drawn-out battle.
But the spirit will live on. "CBGB's is a state of mind," Smith said at pre-show news conference. "The new kids have to have their own places."
As Stephen Colbert commented Monday night, CBGB's will actually move to a new location in Las Vegas sometime next year. His suggestion? Laminate the bathrooms so they can be hosed down easier for better cleanliness. And don't be surprised if you see Celine Dion rocking the CBGB mic soon...
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posted by Unknown @ Monday, October 16, 2006,
