end

More than a year ago, I blogged about the impending demise of CBGB, the seminal punk club in New York City's East Village. It was no surprise that it was closing; the wonder was it had survived that long. The club's owner, the one and only Hilly Kristal, wasn't in mourning. "You want old stuff?" he said. "Go to Europe."

And now, the end is here. Tonight is CBGB's last night. Patti Smith will grace the stage one last time. I saw her play CBGB in 1970-something, my first time in a New York club, and was instantly smitten.

After this last show, Kristal will pack up everything movable, and cart it all to Las Vegas, where he plans to set up shop anew. Las Vegas. Think of it.

AP story, via the Toronto Star, here.