The Talking Heads and CBGB: A Story of Collaboration

On June 5th, 1975, the Talking Heads performed their first gig, as an opening act for the Ramones at legendary venue CBGB. The show started the band’s career, and kickstarted their relationship with CBGB. CBGB was opened at 315 Bowery in 1973 by Hilly Krystal, its name standing for “Country Bluegrass Blues.” Krystal eventually changed its name to CBGB & OMFUG, with the second phrase being an acronym for “Other Music for Uplifting Gormandizers.” The “Other Music” quickly outpaced the country, bluegrass, and blues, and CBGB became an influential incubator for underground groups in the punk rock scene. The venue helped launch the careers of rock music staples including Blondie, the Ramones, and of course the Talking Heads. 

During their June 1975 debut, the Talking Heads consisted of friends David Byrne (guitar and vocals), Chris Frantz (drums), Tina Weymouth on bass, with the band’s fourth member, Jerry Harrison, joining in 1976 after leaving another highly influential proto-punk pioneer band, The Modern Lovers.

While this was their first show as the Talking Heads, the band’s origins trace to Providence, Rhode Island, where members met while attending the Rhode Island School of Design. Here in 1973, Byrne and Frantz created a prototype punk band called the Artistics. Weymouth, who was Frantz’s girlfriend, would provide transportation. By the following year, the Artistics would dissolve, but the three would move to New York City together, and share a loft on the Lower East Side. Located at 195 Chrystie Street, the loft was a short walk to CBGB, allowing the future band members to attend shows, and helping grow their knowledge of the then-burgeoning music genre, punk rock. 

The band’s first show was somewhat unremarkable, with only about ten people in attendance. What came later was quite the opposite. After Harrison joined the band in 1976, they signed a record deal with Sire Records, considered to be the label to actively pursue CBGB bands. They released three albums in quick succession. Taking inspiration from the East Village Punk Scene, the Talking Heads pioneered the genre of new wave music by integrating elements of punk, art rock, funk, dance, pop and world music.

The Talking Heads would continue to perform regularly at CBGB. On December 27th, 1977, they headlined the inaugural performance of the nearby CBGB Theatre. Located a short walk from the original CBGB, at 66 Second Avenue, a building constructed ca. 1926-1927. The venue had a capacity of just over 1,700, and was opened by Hilly Krystal as lines at CBGB wrapped the block. Krystal hoped the theater would expand CBGB’s capacity, but the venue’s tenure was short-lived. With no working heat, it was often colder inside than outside. Accounts of the venue describe it as “making the original CBGB look like the Rainbow Room.”

CBGB’s original location would remain open at 315 Bowery until 2006. After the Talking Heads opened for the Ramones, the bands would tour together. By the late 70s, the Talking Heads had amassed impressive commercial success. Staying together until 1991, they would perform in venues much larger, but remained very connected to their roots at CBGB. 

You can read more about CBGB in past Off the Grid posts. And explore more about East Village Rock history by checking out our East Village Building Blocks Punk Rock tour.