CBGB Festival stays true to its roots with a night of punk's past, present and future

"For the first time in nearly two decades, CBGB, the beloved Lower East Side punk venue, was back in the New York groove, but in a different form and in a new setting. Last weekend, nearly 10,000 fans trekked out to Under the K Bridge Park in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, for the CBGB Festival. For nearly 33 years, CBGB was a symbol of punk's passion and persistence."

"It all started in 1973 when proprietor Hilly Kristal transformed his dive bar into a venue for Country, Bluegrass, Blues and Other Music for Uplifting Gormandizers - CBGB-OMFUG for short. Or, to the millions of punks who staggered under the entrance's iconic awning: "CBGBs." When Kristal's vision for the club as a country music mecca didn't materialize, he pivoted to the loud, abrasive sounds emerging from Bowery - even though the former Marine personally didn't care for it."

CBGB began in 1973 when Hilly Kristal converted a dive bar into a venue intended for Country, Bluegrass, Blues and Other Music for Uplifting Gormandizers (CBGB-OMFUG). The club shifted to loud, abrasive Bowery sounds and became an incubator for punk, launching bands like Television, Talking Heads, Blondie, Patti Smith and the Ramones. Kristal experimented with low-priced chili and all-ages hardcore matinees, and the venue retained a rough, sometimes unsanitary character. CBGB closed in 2006 and the storefront was replaced by a clothing boutique, while Kristal died in 2007 and the brand changed hands. The CBGB Festival in Brooklyn drew nearly 10,000 fans and presented a diverse lineup honoring punk's past, present and future.

Read at Los Angeles Times