One of my rock star claims to fame is that I was able to take in a show at New York’s legendary rock club CBGB several months before it closed. Don’t let the epic stories fool you: the place was a total dive and probably wouldn’t have been remembered as anything special had it not booked some of the most influential rock acts for its tiny stage. Between its opening in 1973 and its closure in October 2006, CBGB featured concerts by the Misfits, Patti Smith, Blondie, Beastie Boys, Guns N Roses, Pearl Jam, the Dictators, Television, the Talking Heads, Murphy’s Law, the Gorilla Biscuits, and, of course, the Ramones. Even international bands that later became huge, like The Police and AC/DC, had some of their first American concerts there. It’s fair to say that in the history of rock music few venues have a comparable history, so even though it was a dive it was one of the all time greatest dives.
Several documentaries have been made about the CBGB era, but Variety is reporting that Randall Miller (writer/director of Bottle Shock) is making a movie about CBGB and that Alan Rickman will star as Hilly Kristal, the owner of the club. Miller is current set to direct another music film, The Drummer, which is about Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys and is set to star Aaron Eckhart. However, CBGB is set to film first and will go before cameras in June.
I don’t know exactly what sort of narrative the film will cover, but if Miller is looking for a set he could do no worse than filming it in the John Varvatos storefront that CBGB once occupied. The fashion designer has done a remarkable job of maintaining the feel of the old club (the new Guns N Roses, New York Dolls, and other big acts have even played concerts there). Of course, I wouldn’t recommend going there to buy a $300 Iron Maiden shirt, but it’s certainly a nice place to browse.
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