CBGB's

Landlord Won't Renew Lease for CBGB Club
By LARRY McSHANE, Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK - As several hundred enthusiastic supporters rallied to keep CBGB's open, the landlord of the venerable punk club announced Wednesday that the lease on the 32-year-old landmark will not be renewed. The Bowery Residents' Committee, landlord of the building on the Bowery, "believes it is in the best interest of our clients — the homeless and neediest New Yorkers — to sever this relationship," BRC executive director Muzzy Rosenblatt said.

The existing lease was to expire at midnight Wednesday. The statement from Rosenblatt called for CBGB's to "vacate the premises both voluntarily and expeditiously" — a scenario that appeared unlikely, given the promises of Little Steven Van Zandt and others to wage a battle to the end on behalf of the bar that launched punk rock. "We're not going without a fight," said Van Zandt, who was joined at the rally by "Sopranos" co-stars Tony Sirico and Joe Pantoliano. "If the eviction proceedings start tomorrow, which I hope it doesn't, we'll fight it in the courts." - complete story


Deadline Looms for Famous New York Club
By LARRY McSHANE, Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK - Hilly Kristal opened CBGB's in December 1973, envisioning a home on the Bowery for country music. And then the punks took over. The Ramones. Blondie. Talking Heads. Television. They all launched their careers on the cramped stage at Kristal's low-maintenance club, which became the mid-1970s epicenter for a musical revolution and still rocks on three decades later.

But it may be time for the last (slam) dance at the storefront bar with its familiar white awning. The club's lease expires on Aug. 31; a longstanding rent dispute could persuade the landlord, the Bowery Residents' Committee, to shut down the venerable birthplace of punk and find a new tenant. - complete article

Judge Says CBGB's Can't Be Evicted
By ELIZABETH LeSURE, Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK - A civil court judge ruled Wednesday that the landmark punk club CBGB's can't be evicted from its Bowery location, saying it shouldn't be punished for not noticing it owed its landlord money. The ruling was a victory for the club where groups like the Ramones and Blondie defined the punk scene in the 1970s, but CBGB's future is still uncertain.

Its lease with the Bowery Residents' Committee expires on Aug. 31, and a renewal remains up in the air. The executive director of the Bowery Residents' Committee, Muzzy Rosenblatt, said he had not seen the ruling so he could not comment on it. "All we're looking for is a responsible tenant," he said of his group, which provides shelter for homeless people in the building that houses the club.

The dispute involved about $100,000 in rent increases, interest and fees. The club says the increases went unpaid for four years because of a bookkeeping mix-up. CBGB's said it wasn't billed for the increases, but Rosenblatt said the increases were clearly stated in the lease. CBGB's rent is $19,000 a month. - complete article