Gothamist: Landlord Wants CBGB's To Leave

denver

Fri, 23 Sep 2005 06:12:33 -0500

what ever happened to the concept of historical sites? people travel the world to either play or watch a show at this venue for yeeeeeaaars.it's a part of new york history.

cgee

Fri, 02 Sep 2005 15:05:09 -0500

Hey ho, CBs gotta go!

J

Thu, 01 Sep 2005 16:52:44 -0500

More photos here.

Jack

Thu, 01 Sep 2005 14:48:53 -0500

Jimmy Legs, if you think CBGBs II is a sickening thought, here's an idea that Hilly Kristal is serious about... Opening CBGBs: Las Vegas!!! And this isn't just because of this eviction nonsense. He simply wants to do it! Goodnight nurse! I really think when all is said an done, Hilly Kristal would like to make CBGBs a franchise much like the Hard Rock Cafe... Only PUNKER!!! When you go to Target and see the shelves lined with pre-worn Who, Zeppelin and AC/DC t-shirts you know something's wrong. Create your own scene folks!

REALITY CHECK

Thu, 01 Sep 2005 13:35:34 -0500

What makes me angry is that Blondie and the Ramones get all the credit. The guys who really turned CBGB into a legend were Richard Hell and Tom Verlaine. If it weren't for them, Hilly would have still been booking hillbilly shows, and would have eventually closed long, long ago.

bouwerie

Thu, 01 Sep 2005 13:31:50 -0500

What makes CBGB so much better than everyone else? I'm not for the landlord in the slightest, but I've seen so many better places go, and there were no crowds or protests for them. So many other legendary clubs (that had the same or better acts than Blondie and the Ramones, no offense) had to close or move. CBGB should just eat it and buy a cheap building down on East Broadway with the loads of cash Hilly's generating. The Bowery has mostly sucked for a while anyway.

Adam

Thu, 01 Sep 2005 12:35:20 -0500

Eh. CBGB hasn't had any good acts in years.

pugsley

Thu, 01 Sep 2005 12:27:36 -0500

"punk" has nothing to do with it. It's a simple issue of a greedy landlord evicting a long-time tenent. In the Hilly vs. Muzzy battle royale I'm unambiguously in the Hilly camp. The BRC will get zero support from pugsley either now or in the future.

davey

Thu, 01 Sep 2005 12:06:51 -0500

maybe i'm wrong, but hadn't cbgb's become another club that typically screws over the unknown bands that plays there, e.g., they have to sell a certain number of tickets in order to make a low amount of money and whatnot? i went once to see a friend's band perform, and was seriously underwhelmed. besides, the place was empty. also, that lounge underneath was beyond forgettable (although i don't know if it's there anymore). anyway, that's my two cents.

PN

Thu, 01 Sep 2005 11:20:42 -0500

This is how countercultural punk has become.

post punk

Thu, 01 Sep 2005 10:45:37 -0500

"Sponsored by Pepsi" Yeah, that's REALLY underground. Punk has been irrelevant for decades. Didn't post-punk happen 25 years ago?

hr

Thu, 01 Sep 2005 09:16:58 -0500

If you were the landlord, and your tenant trashed the space, didn't do an ounce of maintenance over the years and just ran it into the ground, you'd want them out too.

Jimmy Legs

Thu, 01 Sep 2005 09:14:56 -0500

bigtime, it's actually simpler than that. the back rent issue was resovled in court, now it's just a matter of the homeless shelter who owns the building not wanting to renew the lease to CGBGs. it's not even a matter of the rent being hiked; they just want the club out.

Jimmy Legs

Thu, 01 Sep 2005 09:11:27 -0500

... or the Mercer Arts Centre ... the thing is, it's really no skin off most of our noses if CBs stays or goes, obviously it won't make life all that different. but what scares me is the idea the Hilly might rent another space and reopen the club in a new location ("CBGBS's II!"). now THAT would be a blight on the city.

bigtimetopbanana

Thu, 01 Sep 2005 09:11:03 -0500

Am I really missing the point here? I read that CBGBs owe "tens of thousands of back rent"? Really? Less than a hundred grand? And Public Enemy, Blondie, Gavin Rossdale are playing free concerts? Pepsi sponsored the event? I saw Barnes and Noble have lined their windows with books on CBGBs. This seems a bit ridiculous. Rock bands and sponsors, if this is real important to you. Take some of your rich-ass money and pay the damn back rent. Then, management, you have a little breathing space, put a new business plan together that may lose of the CBGB-spirit, but at least makes you enough money to pay your rent going forward. Didn't Bruce do as much for the Stone Pony when that was threatened? But maybe I'm missing the point, and it's more complicated than that?

thats so new wave

Thu, 01 Sep 2005 08:18:23 -0500

You forgot Max's Kansas City and the Peppermint Lounge!

Rocknrope

Thu, 01 Sep 2005 07:52:52 -0500

Public Enemy performed?! DAMMIT! And with Flavor no less. Last time I caught them in concert a few years ago, Flavor was MIA due to a "situation" with the authorities.

dontcry

Thu, 01 Sep 2005 07:50:03 -0500

84 King used to be Paradise Garage. Now a Verizon Garage... 254 W 54st used to be Studio 54 and is now nothing but a dull theater. Remember Danceteria on 21st? Now an office bldg. All replaced by Cielo and Shelter. Don't cry for CBGB...