I WISH I WAS THERE: CBGB X John Varvatos

THE LEGEND LIVES ON...

Who: CBGB Presented By John Varvatos
Where: Manhattan, New York City
When: 1973 - ????
Photography: Eric Laignel

An institution in its own right, New York's CBGB became famous as the birthplace of the American punk movement. In 33 years, the rock club has continued to play host to almost every emerging underground music genre. Closing in 2006, high-end men's fashion label,John Varvatos purchased the former space and opened a store in April 2008. Varvatos has promised to do justice to CBGB's legacy, I think he did a pretty good job.

Short list of some then not-so-famous acts at the CBGB:
The Ramones, Blondie, B-52's, Beastie Boys, Nirvana, Bad Religion, Blink-182,Dead kenndy's, Gun's and Roses, Iggy Pop, Patti Smith, Sonic Youth, Rancid,The Stokes, Pearl Jam, The Misfits, Minor Threat, even Lil Wayne! The long list continues....

Click HERE for the full list or click HERE for more info on CBGB.

HUGE THANKS TO INTERIOR DESIGN MAG & Eric Laignel


CBGB's recessed entry remains, but the door and windows have been enlarged. The awning suggests but does not replicate the club's.


Vintage guitars, including a Fender Stratocaster and Telecaster, are framed under glass.


The 27-foot-long mahogany cash-wrap desk was once the hottest place to be.


Now cleaned and protected by glass, CBGB's walls were layered with stickers, handbills, and posters for bands that played there over the years.


Acquired for a John Varvatos runway show, 30 crystal chandeliers are now assembled in the center of the ceiling. The floorboards are oak, reclaimed from barns in upstate New York and stained five times.


A vintage stained-glass window ornaments the wall of speakers behind a portable stage that normally displays shoes and boots but occasionally provides a site for jam sessions.


Records from Varvatos's personal 15,000-piece collection are displayed for sale.


CBGB's coatrack and graffiti were preserved.


PEACE