Hilly Kristal, owner and founder of CBGB, writes a brief history of the club that for the past thirty five years has become synonymous with underground music. CBGB.com presents this history as it is written in sequential installments.
Installment Vol.6 Page 4
The “Velvet Underground” (of the late 60s and early 70s), was one of the more important influences on this new music scene (the punk rock movement), especially in the U.S.A. They had disbanded before I opened CB's, however. Jane Friedman- Patty Smith’s manager- had the for sight to bring in John Cale of the Velvets, with his extraordinary musicianship, to produce Patty’s first Album on Arista records and subsequently to start his own band and record his first, and I believe his only, solo live album right here at CBGBs. The album was entitled “Camouflage” and was distributed through A&M records. The first time we heard John Cale and his new band was on December of 96’. The audience response was even more than we had hoped for. It was quite overwhelming. The following week I booked him for 3 days, 2 sets a night; he played to packed houses night after night with opening bands “Joe Cool” and special guest “Steve Forbert”. John was a wonderfully creative musician idealized by other rock musicians. The musicians who played in his band were the best. Many celebrities and other famous musicians came to hear John. It was a great Christmas season with “Orchestra Luna” and “The Shirts” playing on New Years Eve, we had a perfect close for 1976.
Orchestra Luna
The Shirts
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