What New York City nightclub hosted the first punk bands? The answer is CBGB. Located at 315 Bowery in Manhattan's East Village, CBGB became the central venue for New York's emerging punk and underground rock scene in the mid-1970s. Its name originally stood for “Country, BlueGrass, and Blues,” the kinds of music owner Hilly Kristal initially wanted to book.
The club's direction changed when Kristal began giving stage time to local experimental bands. Television played its first regular shows there in 1974, and acts such as the Ramones, Blondie, Patti Smith Group and Talking Heads soon became closely associated with the venue. CBGB's cramped room, rough sound and minimal stage helped shape the scene's raw aesthetic.
CBGB was not literally the only early punk venue: Max's Kansas City also hosted important performers, and New York's scene developed across several clubs. However, CBGB is the canonical answer because it became the movement's best-known home and helped launch several foundational American punk bands. The club closed in 2006 after a rent dispute.