If you were listening to KCBS in San Francisco around noon today, and stuck around after the traffic report, you might have heard me talking about the death of Hilly Kristal (at 75), the founder of NY's legendary punk rock club, CBGB's.
My first visit to the club, to see a very early Ramones show, changed my life entirely and led to decades of punk rock evangelism in the press, on the radio and in the record industry. It also led to a friendship with Hilly which worked out especially well later when I was running Sire Records and he was managing Cleveland's Dead Boys. Here's a classic performance of their biggest song, "Sonic Reducer," at CB's. (I would have rather posted "Caught With The Meat in Your Mouth" as a dedication to our friends in the GOP but I couldn't find a great version.)
What was your best CBGB's experience ever?
