The site of the punk rock club CBGB

CBGB opened in 1973 at 315 Bowery in the East Village, Manhattan. Originally envisioned by Hilly Kristal as a venue for country, bluegrass, and blues, the club soon became a famed location for punk rock and new wave bands. It served as a linchpin of early American punk culture, providing a space for bands like the Ramones, the Patti Smith Group, and Blondie to perform.

During its operating years, CBGB maintained a deliberately rough interior covered in graffiti, an appearance it kept even after the club became commercially profitable. The club's greenrooms had no doors, and patrons walking to the restrooms passed through what would normally have been a backstage area. This design allowed musicians and audience members to share a space and interact before and after performances.

Adjacent to the club was the CBGB Record Canteen, which functioned as a record shop and café. In the late 1980s, it was converted into an art gallery and second performance space called CB's 313 Gallery. While CBGB showcased hardcore punk and metal, the gallery hosted acoustic rock, folk, and jazz, as well as a weekly Goth night called Alchemy.

After a protracted dispute over rent, the club closed on October 15, 2006, with a performance by Patti Smith. Her final set ended with her song "Elegie" and a reading of a list of punk rock musicians and advocates who had died in recent years. In 2013, the building at 315 Bowery was added to the National Register of Historic Places as part of The Bowery Historic District.

Sources: Wikipedia, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons