by Izzy Grinspan
New York music fans aren't sure what to make of the news that legendary rock club CBGB might have to close when their lease expires in August. On the one hand, it'll be the end of an era: the club, owned by MOT Hilly Kristal, is where American punk rock was born. On the other hand, that was nearly three decades ago, and CBGB's cultural relevancy has waned in recent years, even as their t-shirt sales have increased. The new book CBGB and OMFUG: Thirty Years from the Home of Underground Rock, which came out July 1, features pictures of bands like Blondie, the Ramones, and the Talking Heads, but ends, tellingly, with two-year-old photos of the Libertines—not exactly cutting-edge. Still, nothing beats the gritty pictures of the club in its prime. Taken by punk photographers like Roberta Bayley and David Godlis (whose work is also featured in our photo gallery), they document Challah Famers the Ramones, Blondie and Television. If you're in the NYC area, you can see these pictures up close and personal—the Municipal Art Society of New York's CBGB exhibit starts today.