The Legendary CBGB Trivia Quiz

Answer: Country, BlueGrass & Blues

The full name of the club is CBGB OMFUG. It stands for Country, BlueGrass & Blues and Other Music for Uplifting Gormandizers. Gormandizers typically refers to people with voracious appetites for food but in this case, refers to people with voracious appetites for music.

The club was intended to be a hot spot for country music as well as poetry readings but attracted mostly hardcore punk as well as rock and alternative acts. Bands such as The Ramones, Blondie, Television, Talking Heads, Living Colour and The Police have all played there.

Answer: The Bowery

CBGB was located at 315 The Bowery, on the Lower East Side of New York City. The street had a reputation as the skid row of New York City and there was often violence in and around the club. The owner employed homeless people at the club. The washrooms of the club had a reputation for being absolutely filthy and the space inside was full of stickers, posters and flyers from bands who'd played there throughout the years.

At 313 The Bowery a record shop and café called "CBGB Record Canteen" was opened which was turned into an art gallery and performance space for softer types of music such as jazz, folk and experimental music.

Answer: 1973

The club opened in 1973 and became a space where local bands could come and play. At the time, there weren't a lot of options for young bands to play live music and CBGB really benefited from that. Throughout the lifetime of the club, other bands that have played there include Beastie Boys, the B-52s, the Dead Boys, the Voivods, the Cramps, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Fishbone and the Misfits.

In the 90s there was quite a bit of violence at the club and so hardcore bands were stopped from booking. Hardcore music though was a mainstay throughout the existence of CBGB and was brought back once in a while.

Answer: Hilly Krystal

Hilly Krystal was a singer, manager and businessman who opened the club with a vision of country music bands playing there. His vision didn't quite come true but he did open up a club that gave so many bands the opportunity to get started. Krystal had a reputation for being a man who was definitely generous to bands and to the people of The Bowery who could use a job and a helping hand.

A 2013 film was released about the club and about Hilly, with Alan Rickman in the main role. When the Talking Heads were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002 they thanked Hilly for giving them and many others a chance to play.

They said "he kept us alive, he fed us, and he supported us in every way possible."

Answer: Bands had to play original songs

Bands that played CBGB had to play their own music although there were one or two covers slipped in shows. At first, the club attracted local bands but then gained attention nationally and internationally as well. English musician Elvis Costello with his Attractions opened for the Voidoids and The Police played some of their first gigs in America there.

There was no rule that the bands had to help with any of the cleaning up. I do wonder if any of them actually cleaned up after Hilly's dog. Apparently he would use the club as his own personal toilet and was as much of a legend at the club as the bands that played there.

Answer: The Damned

The Damned were the first British punk band to release a single in the US, tour the US and release an album in the US. (Yes even before The Sex Pistols who toured the US in early 1978). The Damned played CBGB in April 1977. The single they released was "New Rose" and the album was called "Damned Damned Damned." There is an audio recording available online of a set at CBGB by the Damned that is pretty incredible.

Answer: Rent dispute

The monthly rent the club paid in 2005 was $19,000. The owner was sued for $90,000 in owed rent by the Bowery Resident's Committee, who was the landlord at the time. This was for the difference in rent that was owed after a number of rent increases that were apparently ignored. CBGB's owner claimed they were never notified of the rent increases and refused to pay until the matter went to court. CBGB and the landlord ended up coming to an agreement whereby the club would close by the end of September, 2006. Sad that such an iconic club closed due to a dispute over rent hikes.

When the club closed, the owner thought about moving the club to Las Vegas but this didn't happen.

Answer: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

The awning is now on display in the lobby of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. There were actually three different awnings throughout the years, the first lasted until 1987, the second until 2000 and the third until the club closed in 2006.

It's the third awning that can be seen at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. There are some interesting rumors about what happened to the first and second awnings. One is that the first awning was stolen by punk band Jody Foster's Army after a gig.

The rumor surrounding the second awning is that a band named The Toilet Boys spray painted their name across the awning and were never booked for a gig at the club again. There's also a fake awning at Newark International Airport, at the CBGB L.A.B. (Bar and Lounge.)

Answer: Patti Smith

When word got around that the club was going to close, a number of punk bands played there to try and keep it open. Bad Brains and the Dictators played a number of nights, Blondie played there, and so did a number of other newer punk bands. Patti Smith played the final show there on October 15, 2006, accompanied by Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers on some songs.

She played "Gloria" and the chorus of "Blitzkrieg Bop" as the set was ending and finished the night with "Elegie", reading the names of musicians who had played there and were no longer alive. You can find this beautiful performance online if you're interested.

Answer: Clothing store

After the club closed, the space became a retail store called CBGB Fashions. That was moved to a different location. The store then became a high end men's fashion store called John Varvatos. The band stickers, posters and flyers that adorned the walls of the club are still in place. I visited the location a few years ago and was awestruck to be in a place where so much musical history took place. I was also a little mad that CBGB t-shirts were selling for a very hefty price! CBGB has been referenced in pop culture a lot, including in "Gilmore Girls", "Californication", Spike Lee's "Summer of Sam", and the novel "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist." And of course, any self-respecting punk or rock fan has worn a CBGB t-shirt.