In 2006 one of the most renowned music venues in the country shut its doors.
But now it looks like CBGB -- the venerable East Village hard rock institution founded in 1973 that launched acts like Patti Smith, Blondie, the Ramones and the Misfits -- is making a physical comeback. And not just on t-shirts.
The club originally shuttered due to rent disputes with their landlord, after their rent was raised from $19,000 a month to $35,000 a month.
Last week the club's newest investors -- an unnamed group of six who have acquired the rights to the club's intellectual property and assets from the previous owners --announced they are on the lookout for a new venue somewhere in downtown Manhattan. Original founder Hilly Kristal's daughter, Lisa Kristal Burgman, told the New York Times she was relieved to know the club could be "reborn" and that "it's not going to die."
This news came on the heels of an announcement that CBGB would be hosting their first rock festival -- a three day spurt from July 5-8 featuring hundreds of indie bands playing a variety of venues across New York.
And now -- howabout this? -- The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that Alan Rickman will play CBGB founder Hilly Kristal in a biopic about the origins of the club. Randall Miller, who also directed Rickman in "Bottle Shock," co-wrote the script and will direct the film.
Is punk dead? Or does it live on in the spirits of these mysterious investors and Severus Snape? Let us know what you think.
Also on HuffPost:
Josh White: Why a History of Punk Rock Matters
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Huffington Post | By Lucas Kavner Posted: 05/15/2012 1:15 pm Updated: 05/15/2012 2:13 pm