John Varvatos opened his flagship store at 315 Bowery in the former home of CBGB in 2008, less than two years after I watched Patti Smith headline the legendary punk club’s final show in the space. Since then, the designer has kept elements of the original club still visible in the decor, with original details and newer rock and roll-themed posters and memorabilia adorning the clothing store, which also sometimes still holds music-themed events and actual shows. Whether just browsing, shopping or attending an event, you can still get a taste of the space that helped birth The Ramones.
Guns N’ Roses, Alice Cooper, New York Dolls, The Gaslight Anthem & Joan Jett are among those who have played public or private events in there in the past 17+ years since CBGB closed. Personally, I was last there for a Record Store Day launch event in 2024 when Lenny Kaye and Beck were among those who spoke to help celebrate limited records they were launching. I returned on Wednesday night for an actual show in the space, a BrooklynVegan & VEEPS-presented show by NYC psych-garage band The Mystery Lights, who are always a fun time. They cleared all the clothing racks out of the space for the free-with-RSVP Bowery Session, making it just a music venue again, complete with a stocked bar and a DJ to warm up the crowd before the band took the stage at 8pm. They played a full set, ending with frontman Mike Brandon jumping around the crowd in a small mosh pit some time after 9.
If you missed it, expect more where this came from. “Keeping music alive at our John Varvatos 315 Bowery NYC boutique isn’t just about nostalgia — it’s about honoring the raw, rebellious spirit born in these walls,” said James Schuck, Director of Marketing and PR. “Every concert here carries that legacy forward, proving that the soul of rock and downtown culture isn’t preserved in memory — it’s kept alive on stage through performances by artists like Mystery Lights and the support of BrooklynVegan.”
After the show I headed out and past the Bad Brains mural across the street for an extra dose of CBGB memories in the ever-changing neighborhood.
Photos from the whole evening, by Josh Beech and Dimitry Mak, continue below….
