CBGB, considered by many the birthplace of punk, is apparently reopening as a restaurant in Newark, International Airport. Anyone who was unsure of the end of a certain era when the legendary club known for hosting Blondie, the Ramones, Television, the Misfits, Talking Heads and countless other acts closed its doors on the Bowery in NYC about a decade ago can now finally face the music--punk is dead; long live punk.
The iconic brand will be trading in its secondary acronym OMFUG, meaning Other Music For Uplifting Gormandizers, for LAB, or Lounge and Bar. As Stereogum reports, the restaurant plans to offer "American fare in a fun environment recalling the legendary music venue."
As Gothamist reports, when Hilly Kristal first opened CBGB OMFUG on the Bowery back in 1973, the bar menu featured "Hilly's Chili" which was apparently cooked in the presence of the chef's pet rat and was seasoned with cigarette ashes and bodily fluids. Of course the venue was better known for its music, not its menu.
According to a photo of a menu that famed radio station WFMU tweeted, the new restaurant offers airport restaurant food like deviled eggs for $9, a wedge salad for $11.50 and a $14 cheeseburger. Hilly's Chili isn't on the menu.
CBGB's Reopening! At Newark Airport: ht @readmyback pic.twitter.com/m9Ay6VaI8j
— WFMU (@WFMU) December 21, 2015
One can't help but ask how on earth a legendary punk venue can just suddenly turn into an airport lounge and bar. As Alternative Press explains, this weird story has been made possible thanks to an undisclosed holding company that has owned the rights to all things CBGB ever since the death of owner and founder Kristal in 2007.
There is no word as of yet if the restaurant will carry on the famed venue's Thrash Day tradition every Sunday or if there will be live music at all, but it's difficult to imagine moshing unironically in an airport bar in New Jersey. One can only hope the new restaurant's decor at least attempts to capture the original club's bathroom in all its glory, which you can check out in the video below.
