Word on the 'net is that venerable punk club CBGB, which shut its doors on the Bowery in 2006, is looking to reopen in Manhattan. In all likelihood, the new CBGB would be a shadow of its former self -- it'll probably be closer to a Hard Rock Cafe than a haven for post-punk experimentation. But any time someone brings up CBGB, its an excuse to take a trip down a mohawked memory lane. Here are 11 clips, in descending order of importance, of landmark punk performances down on the Bowery.10) Guitar Wolf (2005) - I was too young to experience CBGB in its heyday. By the 2000s, it was mostly a pay-to-play tourist trap. But in 2005, I witnessed Japanese noise-rockers Guitar Wolf play the club, and the absolutely scorched the joint. In the brief clip below, Guitar Wolf climbed a stack of amps, and jumped over the audience onto the stage. My jaw was on the floor, and my fist was in the air.
9) Sonic Youth - "Incinerate" (2006) Before shutting down in 2006, CBGB hosted a stream of legendary bands, including NYC rock icons Sonic Youth. Here's a cellphone clip of SY jamming on a song off their then-most recent release, Rather Ripped.
8) Minor Threat - "Guilty of Being White" (1982) When hardcore arrived in the early-1980s, it was starkly more abrasive than the first generation of punk that preceded it. Here, the audience for D.C. hardcore legends Minor Threat is markedly more aggro than than the glue-sniffing Ramones crowd from a few years prior.
7) Bad Brains - "Pay to Cum" (1982) Another CBGB gem from '82, D.C.'s Bad Brains set the bar high for other hardcore punks; despite being deafeningly loud and lightning-fast, they actually had serious musical chops.
6) Patti Smith - "Elegie" (2006) The "Godmother of Punk" played the final show at CBGB on October 15, 2006.This was the final song of her set.
5) Richard Hell & Voidoids - "Blank Generation" (1979) Punk icon Richard Hell wrote his trademark song, "Blank Generation," while he was a member of CBGB legends Television. After parting ways with Television, Hell released the song with his new band, the Voidoids, and the song subsequently became a punk anthem. Below is a clip of the song being played at CBGB for a film named after the song and produced by Andy Warhol.
4) Dead Boys - "Sonic Reducer" (1979) Any punk band worth their salt can kick out a cover of "Sonic Reducer." Watch the real deal Dead Boys destroy CBGB with their signature song.
3) Blondie - "A Girl Should Know Better" (1975) Watching this clip, its overwhelmingly obvious that Blondie was destined for bigger venues than CBGB; but it's also a reminder of the band's humble beginnings. Also, Debbie Harry is rocking Britney Spears' controversial "Hit Me Baby" school-girl costume more than 20 years before Brit!
2) Television - "Double Exposure" (1974) Almost no footage exists of Television playing at CBGB, but by all accounts, Tom Verlaine & Co. were the resident geniuses at the club. Here's an audio clip of the band tearing through "Double Exposure," a rare recording with Richard Hell on bass.
1) TIE: Ramones - "Judy Is a Punk" (1974) & Talking Heads - "Psycho Killer" (1975) As if there was any doubt who'd be at the top of this list...
