With Saint Vitus shuttered, Greenpoint residents who like it loud have been bereft of a space to support live acts. It may not be a permanent replacement, but a new music festival should provide them an outlet for a day.
The inaugural CBGB Festival will bring together more than twenty acts to commemorate the iconic music venue on September 27 at Under the K Bridge Park. Headlining the fest will be Iggy Pop (playing his first New York City show in more than a decade) and Jack White (less on theme, but still a big name). The line up also features The Damned, Marky Ramone, Johnny Marr, Melvins, and Lunachicks, as well as hardcore acts such as Gorilla Biscuits, Murphy’s Law, and Cro-Mags.
And if you never thought you’d catch a Sex Pistols reunion show in your own backyard, you’d be mistaken—sort of. The short-lived punk band will play without controversial frontman John Lydon, who recently told the press he would never reunite with a “woke” Sex Pistols (that SNL “History of Punk” sketch was really onto something!)
The festival is still a few months out, but act fast to get those tickets. The presale goes live on Thursday, May 15 at 10 AM, and the sale opens to the public on Friday, May 16 at 10 AM.
And if you’re ages 16 to 24, good news. According to the festival’s website,“[a] special ‘Young Punk’ discounted GA ticket will be available for New York residents under 25—in person only—at a box office pop-up at Music Hall of Williamsburg on Saturday, May 17 at 12 PM ET.”
“This limited batch of 350 tickets (an homage to the original CBGB capacity) will be priced at $73, a nod to the year the club opened: 1973.”
Hilly Kristal founded the legendary club with the original intention of showcasing country, bluegrass, and blues music—hence the initials—though it quickly turned into a breeding ground for influential punk acts like the Ramones, Television, Patti Smith, Blondie, and many more. The club shuttered in 2006, and the designer John Varvatos moved in not long after in 2008, though he kept some of the original details from the club.
Head here to get more info/tickets.