It was on this day in 2007 that Hilly Kristal, founder of the seminal punk club CBGB, died at the age of 75.
Originally called CBGB OMFUG— short for "country, bluegrass, blues and other music for uplifting gourmandizers"— the venue was initially launched to showcase country music. But when it opened in 1973 it would become a breeding ground for the burgeoning punk rock scene.
The man, the club, and those legendary artists were brought to life in the 2013 film, CBGB.
The late Alan Rickman stars as Hilly, who's divorced and broke at the beginning of the movie. He borrows money from his mother to start the country music club he's envisioned, only to be distracted by a little band called Television, who intrigue Hilly enough for him to book. One thing leads to another and soon artists like Blondie, The Ramones, Talking Heads, and Patti Smith are drawing crowds and attention.
The movie itself is just okay. Rickman is great as always, and I did get a kick out of seeing late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins play Iggy Pop.
But the music is unimpeachable and the soundtrack boasts not only the aforementioned artists, but also MC5, New York Dolls, Richard Hell & the Voidoids, The Dictators, Flamin' Groovies, Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers, and more.
But for today's SoundTRAX selection I'm going with the only band with two tunes on the compilation. A band that Hilly Kristal managed for a time early in their volatile career.
From the 2013 film CBGB, it's Dead Boys with "Sonic Reducer."
