Eat the Rich

Yesterday while meandering down the the slumsville turned strip-mall-slash-strip-club that is now Bowery, I found myself inside the hole that was once CBGB and is now the fancy schmancy John Varvatos store. I know there has been a lot of media uproar about the store, and with due cause. The walls of the old club have been preserved (like a museum under squeaky clean plastic sheets), but the rest of the space is pretty anti-CBGB. While John Varvatos' clothes are pretty hot, and I'd love to dress my boyfriend in them, there is no way I'd pay $1200+ for a vintage (USED!!) leather motorcycle jacket. I took a short gander at the small collection of records obviously carefully selected for the store, and  I found The Only Ones' Alone In The Night proudly showcased for 50 bucks! Of course, Varvatos is also selling his Converse All Star collection for $100+ a pop as well-- the more dirt, the more cash. Even though Alice Cooper and Iggy Pop have publicly backed up the designer as a fave, it's still hard to stomach. CBGB had been going downhill in the quality of their musical acts for a long time, but the closing of the place is such a reminder of what is important to people in this city. Money will always rule. The closing of Tonic was even more of a blow, but that's old news and a completely different rant.

With gas prices and food prices skyrocketing, it's tough to see people spending a fortune on something that used to come next to free: Music. 

Check out musician Rebecca Moore's advocacy group for helping keep performance spaces open and affordable around the East Village and LES (if there are still any left anyway.)
http://www.takeittothebridge.com,

Let's play "Then/Now":

Then:

Now:

Then:

Now:

Then:

Now: