CBGB - FU NYC

Well, it's official. The news that New York City music fans have been dreading has finally arrived. On Halloween 2006, the life of the legendary club CBGB will come to an end at its current location. This decision was made after negotiations have gone back and forth for months between club owner Hilly Kristal (seen above after a typical night at the club) and the Bowery Residents Committee.

Billboard.com has reported that this agreement was announced yesterday, giving the rock venue a few more months at 315 Bowery. The BRC will allow Kristal to remain at their current location until October 31, 2006, but that comes at a hefty price. Their rent has been boosted from $19K to $35K per month, which has prompted Kristal to already start scouting spots for a new location. The rumors are flying that the club will actually relocate to Las Vegas. The city of New York is making all sorts of financial offers to try to keep the club somewhere in NYC, but honestly, if you ran a punk rock club for 30 years under a homeless shelter in New York City and somebody said that they would give you a bazillion dollars to move to Las Vegas, what would you do?

But how can CBGB be what it has been, in Las Vegas or anywhere else, for that matter? Kristal replied: “Things are different all the time -- look at the '70s, the '80s, the '90s. The most important thing is we're keeping the integrity of CBGB's. It won't be exactly the same, but it will have the same ingredients."

At least we have a few more months to say goodbye to CBGB in all of its original glory. Having played there several times in my life, and being the only person that I've ever met brave enough to poop in that bathroom (see below), I absolutely urge you all to go there before it's gone. They just don't make hole-in-the-walls like this one anymore.