CBGB

From TheBestLinks.com

CBGB, also CBGB's or CB's is a legendary club in the Manhattan Bowery district of New York City, New York. The full name is CBGB OMFUG which stands for "Country, Bluegrass, and Blues and Other Music For Uplifting Gormandizers". In the mid 1970s, the club was in decline, as both the Bowery and the folk music revival were fading. Hilly Crystal, manager of the club, allowed the band Television to begin playing late Sunday night shows, eventually expanding to other nights of the week.

Around the same time (1973 and 1974), the Patti Smith Group began performing at various locations, settling in to CBGBs in time. It was at this early juncture that critics began to call the music played there "punk" rock, from the customers who would frequent a Bowery nightclub very late at night. Blondie, The Ramones, Talking Heads, and many other bands followed in quick succession. Malcolm McLaren saw the fashions of Richard Hell (then of Television) and the sound of The Ramones and brought both back for his newly formed Sex Pistols. The club hosted many punk and new wave bands over the years and is regarded as the birthplace and center of punk rock.