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August 11, 2005
And The Beat Goes On
The world is still safe for disgusting bathrooms, punks, and yuppies who used to wish they were punks. (Yes, that's really the bathroom, and no, there really is no door. And if you think it looks disgusting in the photo, you should actually use it once.)
A judge ruled today that the legendary punk club CBGB's cannot be evicted by its landlord, which runs a homeless shelter in the building. Basically, what happened is this: the shelter people don't like having to have the club in the bulding, so they jacked the rent way up -- but never told the club's owner they were doing so, and never billed him for it. When the owner continued to pay what he believed was the correct amount, the shelter waited four years to let the past due amount accumulate, then took the club to court with an eviction notice saying they hadn't paid rent. Thankfully for music fans, the judge wasn't buying it.
"It would be unconscionable for this court to allow petitioner to proceed with its intent to evict CBGB ... because it failed to notice that monies were outstanding for approximately four years," the judge wrote.
You know, this has been fairly big news around New York here, as musicians and cultural historians have staged benefits and made counter-proposals to try and save CBGB's. And one of the most striking things about the case has been the smug, over-bearing self-righteousness of the shelter owners... as if the fact that they house the homeless there gives them the right to break the law or act unethically, and as if they are just light years better than those (hold your nose) musicians downstairs.
I love CBGB's anyway and wanted the club to stay, but I'm taking extra pleasure in the fact that those smug pricks at the shelter got their asses handed to them. I'm not exaggerating when I say that this shelter's behavior and attitude have single-handedly made me much less receptive to homelessness issues... if everyone involved in the cause are as prickish as these folks are, then I won't listen to a word they have to say.
In the meantime, the judge's words ring true: "CBGB has proven itself worthy of being recognized as a landmark — a rare achievement for any commercial tenant in the ever diverse and competitive real estate market of New York City," she wrote in the ruling.
The musical legacy of CBGB's is as rarified as any club's anywhere -- and if you're a punk fan or ever were, CBGB's is as close to the Elysian Fields as you'll ever get. The Ramones... Talking Heads... Blondie... B-52s... the Police... their first gigs were here. And even though it's much smaller than you might imagine (and much nastier than you might imagine), it's still a thrill to touch the stage and think "Joey Ramone used to play here."
I've said before that one of the best nights I ever had in New York was the night that Tim, the Doc and I made our first pilgrimage to CBGB's. (And it was even a great night before we met up with the bachelorette party at the transvestite bar... let's just say that being the only straight and single guy in the room when six drunken women were on a bachelorette bender served me very well. Special thanks to Doc for the hit he willingly took on his credit card to buy two rounds of shots for the nine of us, just to make sure the ladies stuck with us/me. 18 shots in five minutes: about $200... Friends who will drop that kind of money and have to explain it to their wives the next day, just to make sure you get hooked up: priceless.)
Anyway, CBGB's is still alive, at least for the time being. The only thing left to say is: "One! Two! Three! Foh!"
Comments
The card's paid off, but I'm still paying for it. It was worth every penny.
Posted by: The SpinMD at August 11, 2005 10:23 PM
Shouldn't you say, thanks to Jenn for not banning her husband from ever going out again for being such an idiot and wasting OUR money! Men!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Jennifer at August 12, 2005 07:17 AM
Jenn -
Yes, dear.
;-)
P.S. For what it's worth, the money wasn't wasted. I got good mileage out of those shots.
Posted by: Curmudgeon at August 12, 2005 07:50 AM
I went to CBGB's in 1986 and I'm glad to see it hasen't changed.
I worked at a grimy little punk venue here in Austin then and I recall saying to my friend that CBGB's was actually filthier that the club we worked in. I was amazed as I didn't think that was possible.
Posted by: Mileah at August 12, 2005 11:24 AM
Was this judge's last name "Ramone" by any chance? ;)
Posted by: eden at August 12, 2005 06:48 PM
