What did the acronym CBGB stand for?

The acronym CBGB stood for “Country, Bluegrass, and Blues.”

The name referred to the musical styles that club founder Hilly Kristal originally intended to feature at his New York venue. CBGB opened on 10 December 1973 at 315 Bowery in Manhattan, initially presenting country, bluegrass, blues, and poetry. It soon became one of the most important stages for the emerging American punk and new wave scenes.

The club’s full name was CBGB & OMFUG, with the additional letters meaning “Other Music For Uplifting Gourmandizers.” Kristal used “gourmandizer” humorously to mean someone with a voracious appetite for music. In everyday usage, however, the venue was almost always called simply CBGB.

The club became closely associated with early performances by the Ramones, Television, Patti Smith, Blondie, Talking Heads, and other influential artists. That history can make the acronym seem as though it originally referred to punk, but the letters actually describe Kristal’s first booking concept. CBGB closed in 2006 after its lease ended, leaving behind a lasting legacy as a birthplace of American punk.