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Discarded CBGB Awning Sells For $29,400 More Than Club's Original Rent
By
Jen Carlson
Published Dec 14, 2016
Modified Dec 14, 2016
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Dec 14, 2016
Modified Dec 14, 2016
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The awning outside of 315 Bowery earlier this year. (Photo by Rainer Turim)
When Hilly Kristal moved into the 315 Bowery space to open up what would become CBGB, he reportedly paid $600 a month. An awning for the venue, and not even the original awning, has just sold for $30,000.
Yes, that's $29,400 more than Hilly paid for rent (when he paid rent) in the glory days. Nostalgia is a hell of a drug.
The awning belonged to former manager Drew Bushong, who earlier this year told us the story about how he acquired the awning that would make him a pretty penny over a decade later.
"I worked there for six years as the manager. The story's pretty uneventful. Went to Mars Bar after a long Monday night audition of 6-7 forgettable bands... and on way back to my motorcycle parked out front of club, I saw the box [with the awning] that had been sitting above my desk for five months on the street next to the trash bags. Put it on back of my bike and drove home... Thought one day maybe I'd open a home bar with it. It's pretty dirty and dingy."
After our series on the history and mysterious current locations of the CBGB awnings ran this year, Bushong decided to let go of his. He took it home to 315 Bowery one more time, then teamed up with Sotheby's for the sale. Sotheby's used the word "original" in their listing, which made it sound like it was the first one to go up over the legendary doors. But it wasn't.
It's unclear which # awning Bushong just sold, but it's not the first—that one, the original hand-painted by Hilly—is the most valuable, and believed to be in the possession of a band called JFA (Jodie Foster's Army). Maybe we'll finally hear from them...
Tagged
auction
cbgb awning history
cbgb awnings
drew bushong
sotheby's
cbgb
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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