faba Posted August 31, 2005 Share Posted August 31, 2005 Applications Mail The Fan Photos Music Security My Account Help Go to Express Latest Entertainment NewsLast-Ditch Rally to Save CBGB's Planned By LARRY McSHANE, Associated Press Writer 41 minutes ago This photo supplied by the Mayor's Press Office shows ... NEW YORK - The lease at CBGB's, the Bowery's venerable punk club, expires at midnight Wednesday. With the clock running down on the musical landmark, there's only one thing certain about its future: supporters of the club won't surrender without a fight. A Washington Square Park rally, hosted by Little Steven Van Zandt, aims to put public pressure on CBGB's landlord, the Bowery Residents' Committee, to sign a new deal. But the two sides haven't spoken in weeks, and no last-minute talks were scheduled before or after the rally. Blondie and other bands will perform in the park, along with politicians and other CBGB supporters. An increasingly frustrated Van Zandt blasted BRC executive Muzzy Rosenblatt for the inability to reach a new agreement. The E Street Band guitarist, "Sopranos" star and radio show host entered the negotiations about six weeks ago. "This is starting to get ugly now," said Van Zandt. "We're trying to take the high road. But it's quite obvious now that Muzzy's not rational, not reasonable. If he has the same compassion for the homeless as he does for the city of New York, I've got to be concerned." Rosenblatt declined to comment specifically on what would happen once the lease runs out. "I'll do what is in the best interest of the BRC and the people it serves to make sure the property is used responsible," he said. Rosenblatt's group _ an agency that aids the homeless _ holds a 45-year lease on the building and houses 250 homeless people above the club. CBGB's is their lone commercial tenant; their rent feud dates back five years, when the committee went to court to collect more than $300,000 in back rent from the club. The current rent is $19,000 a month, although that figure was expected to at least double under any new lease. The club's landlord-tenant woes were reminiscent of the fight over The Bottom Line, the vintage Greenwich Village club that closed in December 2003. CBGB's won a legal decision earlier this month when a Manhattan civil court judge ruled that the club couldn't be evicted for a bookkeeping mistake that left owner Hilly Kristal about $100,000 behind in his rent. It was Kristal who started the club in December 1973, creating a space that eventually spawned bands the Ramones, Blondie and the Talking Heads. The club eventually gained an international reputation as the birthplace of punk. On Tuesday, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the city would try to help CBGB's relocate if a new lease agreement doesn't happen. The mayor held up a black T-shirt with a simple message: "SAVE CBGB." "CBGB's is a great New York institution," the mayor said. "It's more than, you know, another club. ... If they owner of the building they are in cannot be convinced to come to an agreement with them, then we'll help them do something else." Was there maybe only two times but this an institution in New York for music fans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormshadow19 Posted August 31, 2005 Share Posted August 31, 2005 Not that I was ever much into the punk scene, I can respect how historical and significant CBGB's was and is to that genre of music. That's where the Talking Heads, the Ramones, among others, got their start. there's a ton of history there. Most people talk about Motown records downtown here, and how it's historical, and it is. CBGB's is the same way. As is the place out in about San Francisco. I don't recall the name of it. It's where Green Day got started. And the Whiskey in LA and all those clubs where most of the bands of the 80's got started. Even Megadeth and Metallica got their start there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bman Posted August 31, 2005 Share Posted August 31, 2005 heads, ramones, patti smith Blondie to name a few.. debra harry used to get laid in the bathroom there.. historic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dickkotite Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 i have mixed feelings about this one. on one hand being a fan of private property (shock)i cant tell the owner what to do with his place. then again, cbgb's is such a special place and has a lot of musical significance that maybe the city should step in and make the guy an offer he cant refuse. i dunno but thats the big problem in this country... people are investing in everything with no regard to whats right or wrong. in st pete, there is no room to build anymore, so they are going up with condos everywhere. $$$ mucho dough, only for the rich. then they are now buying up trailer parks and making 600k+ homes there, displacing all the poor toothless bike riding folks. i feel bad, real bad for any young people who think they are going to be able to buy a home these days. i dont know who the hell these people are with all this money Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Mac Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 What could the owner possibly use it for if the club leaves? I kinda doubt any other establishment could turn a profit in that location for that rent. Case in point: Jeremy's Alehouse over by the Seaport had to move a block south because the owner decided to double the rent. It now sits unoccupied with a for rent sign on it. I hope this Muzzy ****sucker also winds up with an empty building. Shame because that place was like going to church. I used to have the downstairs big screen TV all to myself in the lounge. I'd actually went there to watch the Knicks way back when they made the playoffs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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