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SXSW 2010: Panel: CBGB Stories

Rare insight into the humble beginnings of a true American icon.

Posted 20th March 2010, 12:53pm in Features, by Tristan Bennett
SXSW 2010: Panel: CBGB Stories Today at SXSW I had the pleasure of listening to the glazed recollections of some of CBGB’s founding members. One and all, they recalled the fabled club and social scene as something more than the underground: a sort of Petri dish in which cultures as varied as the Hell’s Angels and Talking Heads were allowed to mix, match and flourish.

The audience, an assemblage of oldsters, hipsters and spinsters laughed appreciatively at the right moments, cringed at others, and for the most part bent a respectful ear to the rambling anecdotes of a group of musicians whose era has come and gone. Clem Burke (erstwhile Blondie drummer) had probably the greatest star presence-and the most to say about himself. His shoe polish black hair and matching motorcycle jacket remind us all of the perils of a pickled youth, though his forthright suggestion that amphetamines are a great way to hold down three jobs at once at least took Best In Show for honesty.

All in all the panel gave rare insight into the humble beginnings of a true American icon and a bleak glimpse of the New York that bore her. Announcing that the CBGB name had just been acquired, the panel’s moderator ended the discussion on something of a bizarre note. Soon enough we can expect to see the fabled awning pop up all over the US as counter-culture consumerism hits a new low.

See you there.
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