M O N D AY, O C TO B E R 1 6 , 2 0 0 6CBGB's Is DeadIt joins a long list of departed rock clubs, like the Bottom Line.</p><p> Butwhile I'm sorry to see CBGBs go, I'm not really sad.</p><p> It's not like theclosing of independent bookstores where there are no new ones to taketheir place.</p><p> Other clubs have opened and become the hot place to seebands.</p><p> And tradition is great, but rock n roll ain't about tradition.</p><p> As afriend said when she went to see one of the last shows, "What a dump!"I've seen some good shows there, but for a good decade now CBGB'ssurvived by letting any old new act tramp through their doors.</p><p> Cool,but not a way to program a great venue.</p><p> What was the last new banddiscovered or deified at CBGB's? The usual list - the Ramones, TalkingHeads, Television, etc. -- ends pretty conspicuously in the late 70s early80s.</p><p> Same thing with the Bottom Line (which I went to a lot more).</p><p> Inever did get a chance to see Springsteen pop in and recreate his epic"Born To Run" concerts, but I did see great shows by Lyle Lovett, LindaThompson and others.</p><p> But for at least the last 10 years of its life, theBottom Line hardly even tried to keep its bookings vibrant: they keptrotating the same aging acts again and again and again.</p><p> The sense ofdiscovery was long gone.</p><p> So a hearty cheer for CBGB's past, just as longas you keep in mind that its heyday was in fact long past.</p><p> P.S.</p><p> If it evercomes up at a bar's trivia night, the initials stand for Country,Bluegrass and Blues.POSTED BY MICHAEL IN NEW YORK AT 12:11 PM 2 C O M M E N T S :Reid Davis said...Soul Coughing came up in the early 90s largely playing CB's 313Gallery.</p><p> Does that count?9:38 PM Michael in New York said...Sure, absolutely.</p><p> I didn't mean to imply that NOTHING had happenedat CBGBs.</p><p> But even Soul Coughing is more than a decade ago.</p><p> If it'sbeen 10 years since a club launched an act or had memorable shows,maybe it's time has passed.</p><p> The fact that the owner is thinking ofNext Blog»sal1mineo@hotmail.comSEARCH BLOG FLAG BLOGFOLLOW BLOGP O P S U R F I N G .</p><p> C O MS U R F I N G T H E WAV E S O F P O P U L A R C U LT U R EB Y M I C H A E L G I LT Z & F R I E N D SPOPSURFING.COM: CBGB's Is Deadhttp://popsurfing.blogspot.com/2006/10/cbgbs-is-dead.html 1 of 37/28/09 5:15 PMFAV O R I T E L I N K SAmericablogFive O'Clock Lightning baseball blogDeep Pop -- Lori Lakin's BlogThe Back Page -- Jason Page on ESPNRadioCine-Blog -- George Robinson's BlogDocuments On Art & Cinema - DarylChin's BlogBrucie G's Wondrous Blog OfAdventure and Mystery -- BruceGreenspan's BlogB L O G A R C H I V E▼ 2009 (17)▼ July (3)1939 -- The Greatest Year ForMoviesSwimming Bans Those Hi-TechSuits!Best Movies Of The Year -- TheMaster List► June (3)► May (1)► March (2)► February (1)► January (7)► 2008 (86)► 2007 (781)► 2006 (2412)► 2005 (5)C O N T R I B U TO R SBiboyMichael in New YorkAaron POPSURFING.COM: CBGB's Is Deadhttp://popsurfing.blogspot.com/2006/10/cbgbs-is-dead.html 2 of 37/28/09 5:15 PMPOPSURFING.COM: CBGB's Is Deadhttp://popsurfing.blogspot.com/2006/10/cbgbs-is-dead.html 3 of 37/28/09 5:15 PM
