Hilly Kristal 1931-2007
It’s supremely sad that Crystal had to see his legendary club, CBGBs, closed last year. Such is the blindness of capitalism that such an important cultural landmark could be demolished to make way for some corporate high rise. Then again, it seems a strangely appropriate end to the legendary club.
When Crystal opened the club in ‘73, New York was a completely different place than it is today. It’s almost funny that visitors consider NYC rough; the city is a virtual tourist paradise compared with with the crime riddled, riot torn streets of the 70s. Movies like ‘The Warriors‘ and ‘Escape from New York‘ reflect the feel if not the reality of the darkness and violence that permeated all but the richest sections.
Don’t get me wrong, there was plenty of art and glamor, but this was a city of vice and dirt, not glitz and fantasy. This is the city of the New York Dolls, not Gary Glitter. CBGBs was the right place at the right time, ground zero for punk in the U.S.
The caliber of artists that set up shop in the early days of CBGBs was totally unprecedented. No one, of course, could have guessed how important the likes of Television, Patti Smith, Blondie, and The Ramones would turn out to be, but this cross section (all labeled punk at one point in time) shows just how important that empty room was to the future of rock and roll.
So shed a tear for Kristal and his tenacity. Shed a tear that he has to close down his club 5 months after being diagnosed with cancer, and 10 months before his death. Shed a tear for CBGBs, which will probably be remembered by the next generation of kids as a retro logo on a purposefully ‘distressed’ t shirt from Target. And shed a tear for the old New York, a place of filth and wonder, where important things happened everyday.
Ramones. Blondie. Talking Heads. Patti Smith. Television (couldn’t find footage from the club). I don’t know where or when, but lets hope that this sort of magic can be captured again.
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