The closing of CBGB's, the rock mecca at Bowery and Joey Ramone Place (East 2nd St.), was an event that sent ripples through the NYC rock scene. It wasn't like anybody had actually gone to CB's for the last ten years, save the club benefits. It meant an era had ended. It was, for me, the local bar where I hung with the Ramones and Sting, the Tuff Darts and The Dictators, and bands that live rarely on compilation discs or in the muffled corners of Jack-addled minds. It was the best of times and the worst of times. Drugs and drunkenness; the rock and roll purity on streets that nobody wanted.

The Bowery was the endgame for the down-and-out. Flop houses and the beaten mixing with desperate Jersey kids, trying to strum their ways out of a boring suburban life. Bands that would play stadiums were needles in haystacks, for every Patti Smith or Television; there were 10,000 nobodies, no-hows. Still, like an old friend that passes years after you've called him on the phone, CBGB's demise hit a nostalgic nerve and nostalgia, which is, as I have learned from watching Mad Men, the second most gripping sales emotion after "new".

The new John Varvatos’ store is at 315 Bowery, the old CBGB’s space. John saved all that he could from the club, literally: the toilets had been taken, but remnants and graffiti from the band years are still there. CBGB’s, contrary to what my sad heart had told me, did not die; it just changed into something new and maybe more relevant than it had been in its twilight years. It's as if John channeled all the lingering rock and roll energy of all those years and refocused it for a new generation of longhairs. The store's design and vibe is a tribute to all that happened there before.

I attended the Free The Noise event on Tuesday night and interviewed John for my blog. I was taken to the rock and roll trailer and was immediately greeted warmly by Perry Farrell; my date must have been really impressed. Perry is that kind of guy. He always seems genuinely interested in meeting people, and has always been a gentleman. Over the years, we've met many times, mostly through our mutual friend Matt E. Silver, who was also hanging about. I picked up a free Heineken at the Green Room bar—the green can accessorized my black leather outfit perfectly.

The idea of this evening was to discover the next new band. There was a search by the 350 Spin Magazine correspondents in over 85 countries. It was knocked down from hundreds to four, and a good old-fashioned battle of the bands was to ensue. Spin will promote the winner on its online site. Island Def Jam records gave a development deal, and they will be the face of John Varvatos USA campaign. The judges shown in the attached Ben Rowland photo were John Varvatos, Doug Brod of Spin, Mark Didia, the Executive VP of Island Records, Perry Farrell, rock photographer Mick Rock, and Sam Endicott of The Bravery. A huge, hot crowd watched the bands and was very vocal about its choices. Mixed in the crowd were Dennis Quaid, Cobra Starship's Gabe Saporta, MTV VJ Damien Fahey, and rock photographer Bob Gruen. Spin's Doug Brod said:

“Spin has a deep history of championing great new music, so an event like this was in our DNA. And by partnering with John Varvatos, who's one of the most enthusiastic rock fans I've ever met, and Island Def Jam, we were certain this event would have the integrity and profile it deserved. I love the idea of bands from all over the world uploading their videos to Spinearth.tv. It's truly a leveling of the playing field when Howlers, a garage band from Santiago, Chile—a city with a tiny rock scene—can have the same chance at winning a competition as a band from New York City.” I found a familiar graffiti-encrusted pipe, protected by a little piece of grungy wall; it was where I watched bands from in the old days. Mosh pits and stage diving were the rules of the night back then, and here, I was close but didn’t risk breaking a toe. First came The Fast Romantics, and for my taste, they couldn't be fast enough. The Scrambled Eggs, from Beirut, Lebanon, couldn't get a visa, so they were disqualified. It's amazing that that backpack bomber dude is trucking around the good ole U.S. of A., but these artists couldn’t do this gig. Then came The Reckless Sons, local yokels. They wrecked us. I want them at my next wedding. The Chilean band, Howler, was amazingly cool-looking and in the middle of their second song, out of 3 allowed, seemed like winners, but they kept on playing and playing and playing, and it was basically the same song done 3 times, and they proved not to be the Red Hot Chile rockers we thought. From what they told us, there is a very small rock scene in Santiago, and it's amazing that without support, they made it this far. I chatted up my old friend Mick Rock—probably the greatest rock photographer along with Bob Gruen. He did almost every album cover and iconic rock shot you've ever seen. Mick and I traveled in many of the same circles back in the day. We talked of survival, mine and his, and it was nice to stand there and breathe the rock and roll air surrounded by rock stars, groupies, aspiring bands and old friends. We both got real close to the flames years ago but managed to be standing there. Mick had problems around his pump back then, and as for me, I seemed destined for a far grungier end. Maybe that wise man was wrong when he said you can't go home again. It sure felt like home the other night. I think John Varvatos is swell. I think what he has done with that store, which was a great club but had its day, proves that if you take vision and mix it with some heart and some guts, and hey, sure throw in some timing and luck, you can get back. Yet this was not a trip down memory lane but a peek into the future and an embrace of the current. That present and future seems to include the winners New York band The Reckless Sons. Mick thought they were "very sweaty", and that's a good rock reason to be declared the champ.