Skankin' to the Beat to End an Era

One of the things I have never done in New York City was see a show at CBGB.

The famous club which was a launching pad for dozens upon dozens of great bands, has been in the news of late. There has been a battle to close it down and I knew its days were numbered. I had even heard that the club will be relocating to, of all places, Lost Vegas. Blasphemy.

Yet with all the hand-wringing, I was displaced a bit, I knew it is an important fixture in the music business, and Melanie spoke fondly of going there in the 80's to see various and sundry musical performances. I figured I would never see the inner sanctum.

I figured wrong.

Last night, I discovered through the beauty of Myspace, one of my friends, the band Fishbone, alerted me to new tour dates. There it was, New York City, CBGB, September 28.

Ecstatic to hear such news, I quickly bought two tickets. I was happy as a clam. I learned this morning what most people may have known. CBGB is set to close on September 30.

So I will be seeing one of my favorite bands (expect to hear more from me on this in the future) at an historic venue at the end of a storied career. Say what you will, I can't imagine a CBGB in Vegas having the same flavor as the original. Maybe if they build it next to the Chicken Ranch in Pahrump.