CBGB is set to rise again. The New York Times is reporting that the new owners of the CBGB trademark are planning a four-day music festival featuring 300 rock bands at 30 venues across the city, from the Highline Ballroom to Central Park Summerstage. The first annual CBGB Festival will include film screening, workshops and conferences along with concerts from July 5-8th. The festival will include a free show at Summerstage in Central Park on July 7th with Pains of Being Pure at Hart and Cloud Nothings opening for Guided By Voices. Webster Hall will be hosting hardcore bands headlined by The Cro-Mags and Sick of It All. Tickets for the concerts, films and other activities are now on sale at CBGB.com.
CBGB closed in 2006 after the landlord, the Bowery Residents Committee, wanted to increase the rent to $40,000 per month. When the club moved out rock loving designer John Varvatos opened a store cum shrine to CBGB at the 315 Bowery space. As an homage to the club Varvatos integrated many of the clubs original elements into the design of the store, including an entire graffiti covered wall still in its original state.
The CBGB Festival will be modeled on other popular music events like SXSW and CMJ with screening of new and classic rock films and documentaries. There will also be a conference with panel discussions featuring publishers, record labels, promoters, journalists and songwriters. The owners of the CBGB brand plan to make the festival an annual addition to the NYC music scene and hope to re-open the club at a new downtown location.
Read the New York Times article here
John Varvatos 315 Bowery Street
Images courtesy of John Varvatos (top) and New York Time (bottom) Rolling Stone (previous page)
