CBGB

CBGB was a New York City music club opened in 1973 by Hilly Kristal in Manhattan's East Village. The club was previously a biker bar and before that was a dive bar. The letters CBGB were for Country, BlueGrass, and Blues, Kristal's original vision, yet CBGB soon became a famed venue of punk rock and new wave bands like the <a href="/c/books/credit/233721/Ramones/">Ramones</a>, <a href="/c/books/credit/229026/Television/">Television</a>, Patti Smith Group, <a href="/c/books/credit/181275/Blondie/">Blondie</a>, and <a href="/c/books/credit/206386/Talking-Heads/">Talking Heads</a>. From the early 1980s onward, CBGB was known for hardcore punk.