CBGB: The Legendary Club That Changed Rock & Roll Forever
CBGB was a New York institution that was more than a club — it was a launching pad for music history. Founded in 1973 in Manhattan’s Bowery, CBGB became legendary…
NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 30: A general View outside of CBGB’s bar where the Ramones once played. The corner of E. 2nd St. and the Bowery will be renamed in memory of the late punk musician Joey Ramone November 30, 2003 in New York City. (Photo by Teresa Lee/Getty Images)
(Photo by Teresa Lee/Getty Images)CBGB was a New York institution that was more than a club — it was a launching pad for music history. Founded in 1973 in Manhattan’s Bowery, CBGB became legendary for playing home to punk, new wave, and countless rock and roll bands that would go on to define an era. For anyone growing up in New York and dreaming of playing music, the club was sacred ground, a place where raw talent met fearless creativity.
As a drummer in the band Scarlet Fever and a musician immersed in the New York scene, CBGB’s spirit is a constant source of inspiration for me. Walking into that space, even in memory, you felt the energy of the bands who played there—the Ramones pounding out their fast beats, Blondie blending punk with pop, and the Talking Heads reshaping rock with art and attitude.
Every corner of the club spoke of rebellion, experimentation, and the pursuit of musical authenticity. It wasn’t about glitz or glamour. It was about pure, unfiltered rock and roll.
CBGB hosted legendary acts like the Ramones, Blondie, Talking Heads, Patti Smith, Television, The Dead Boys, Richard Hell and the Voidoids, The Heartbreakers, The Cramps, Sonic Youth, AND OF COURSE Johnny Thunders! The club launched careers that would shape rock and punk for generations.
CBGB also represented opportunity. It gave up-and-coming musicians a chance to be seen and heard, to connect with an audience that craved new sounds. That ethos resonates deeply with me as I navigate the scene with Scarlet Fever. Every rehearsal, every gig, and every set we play carries a trace of that CBGB energy—the courage to push limits, to embrace risk, and to play with heart.
Though the doors closed, the legacy of CBGB lives on. It reminds all musicians, especially those coming up in New York, that music is about passion, grit, and daring to make your mark. The club may be gone, but its influence echoes through every note of rock and roll played today.
xoxoxo BamBam
