CBGB was a New York City music club opened in 1973 by Hilly Kristal in the East Village in Manhattan, New York City. The club was previously a biker bar and before that was a dive bar. The letters CBGB were for Country, Bluegrass, Blues, Kristal's original vision for the club. But CBGB soon emerged as a famed and iconic venue for punk rock and new wave bands, including the Ramones, Dead Boys, Television, Patti Smith Group, Blondie, Madonna and Talking Heads.
The entrance to CBGB, c. 2005
Drummer from the band Libertyville performing on the CBGB stage in January 1985
The exterior of CBGB on October 15, 2006, the day it closed
The exterior of CBGB on October 16, 2006, the day after it closed
Hillel Kristal was an American club owner, manager and musician who was the owner of the iconic New York City club CBGB, which opened in 1973 and closed in 2006 over a rent dispute.
Kristal in New York City in 1992