Punk Rock's Father Makes Dreams Come True in Pursuit of His Own

 By Jami Morain

    The posts this far have been focused on specific artists and their impact, for this post I wanted to switch gears. One of my favorite pieces of musical history comes from Hilly Kristal's CBGB in 1970s New York.

    I first heard of CBGB (Country Bluegrass and Blues) when I was watching Valley Girl (2020) during my senior year of high school. The main character's boyfriend suggests they move to New York where she can attend fashion school and his band can perform at CBGB.

    After wondering if the place was real, what its history was and a quick Google search I found myself having a special place in my heart for this bar.

Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
hangs a genuine CBGB awning.

    I watched the 2013 CBGB movie shortly after to help gain a stronger understanding of Kristal and his bar. Allow me to give a brief summary. Kristal wants to open a venue that plays country, bluegrass and blues music. However, he is in debt after multiple failed attempts. Eventually, with his daughter's help, he gets this nasty dive he tries to fix up. As he's working on the outside, a band approaches him (now the Talking Heads) asking if they can play. He denies them when they say they have a different sound. Eventually, he caves and lets them play on Sundays, which were supposed to be the slowest nights of the week. After that more punk bands started to play and Sundays became the busiest nights. The movie can be streamed on Hulu and the Roku channel or rented off Amazon Prime. 

    Later CBGB became CBGB & OMFUG (Other Music For Uplifting Gourmandizers). Gourmandizers are a "voracious eater of, in this case, music," Kristal explained. 

    Unfortunately, the bar closed in 2006 and is now a shopping outlet. This is upsetting to me because that is so much history hidden away. A boutique in place of a previous punk rock venue with graffiti and filth everywhere shows no respect for the history. 

    I enjoy the story so much because Kristal gave up having his country venue to support a new sound and musicians. The 70s in L.A. were described as happy, sunny times, but New York was suffering poverty and crime rates were up. The people needed that music to relate to. A whole new genre was born thanks to Kristal taking a chance.

    Search out CBGB yourself and find what makes it special to you.

Talking Heads performing at CBGB in 1975: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3ppy7zteNE

Website's photo options: https://www.cbgb.com/photos