Varvatos Takes the Stage at 315 Bowery

Business Wire, April 9, 2008

New Boutique Opens in the Original Birthplace of Punk

NEW YORK -- John Varvatos Enterprises has opened the doors to its newest location at 315 Bowery in New York City, a space that formerly housed the seminal underground music club CBGB's. Varvatos pays tribute to the music heritage of this legendary site, which dovetails with his personal passion for rock & roll that is often expressed in his acclaimed menswear collections.

The 3,300 square foot space was turned over to John Varvatos virtually empty save the four walls, and the choice was made to leave what remained essentially intact. The footprint of the storefront is relatively unchanged. The new awning echoes the shape as the one known to club goers. Inside, the walls remain untouched and are still inscribed with graffiti and plastered with the original concert posters, stickers and band fliers. The vibe is also familiar, with a black ceiling and atypical theatrical lighting creating a dark, moody environment.

An enthused John Varvatos reveals, "I am beyond excited about this new concept store at 315 Bowery. The space itself has such an amazing history and we intend to do it right by making this store a cultural experience for all rock music lovers. We will have an amazing collection of memorabilia, vinyl records and the finest selection of vintage 1970's audio equipment in NYC. We will also host concerts for up-and-coming artists through an artist development fund. As CBGB's was a unique arena for the music scene, this store will be the same for fashion and rock & roll. They have always been intertwined and here they will live together!"

"Walking around the Varvatos space at 315 Bowery just confirmed for me that energy doesn't disappear, it only gets transformed, you can feel it - all over the place!" said Arturo Vega, the Ramones Creative Director, who has lived around the corner from the club since 1973.

As with every Varvatos-curated space, furnishings and fixtures are largely found objects and vintage pieces that exhibit a distinct character and the patina of authenticity. A 25-foot mahogany bar reclaimed from its former life in a pub on 14th Street (and prior to that in a Bowery bar) sits in front of four majestic antique stained glass windows. Vintage rolling racks hold the Varvatos clothing collections, augmented by a carefully sourced selection of vintage denim, leather jackets, rock-tee's, accessories, and boots. These special pieces have been hand picked in collaboration with the nation's premier vintage shop, What Comes Around Goes Around (WCAGA).

In addition, John has scoured the globe to create a special offering including relevant music memorabilia, his own collections of rare vinyl and picture discs, books and 1970's audio equipment. A stage has been constructed to house occasional in-store performances in a salute to the place where underground rock lives. The stage features a Les Paul Deluxe, Classic Les Paul Jr., an SG Bass, top of the line Slingerland Drum Kit made for Marky Ramone and two Epiphone half stack amps, all from the Gibson Guitar Corporation.

John Varvatos will celebrate his new store with a grand opening event on April 17th. The event will be a flashback to the extraordinary history of CBGB's but unleash the excitement of what's happening in music today. To benefit The Vh1 Save the Music, the store will open with a charity concert featuring house band, The Losers Lounge, backing up iconic special guest performers: Jesse Malin, Ian Hunter, Cheeta Chrome, D Generation(1st show in 10 years), Alan Vega, Handsome Dick Manitoba, Ronnie Spector, Clem Burke, Rancid and other special guests.

The Vh1 Save The Music Foundation which is a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring instrumental music education programs in America's public schools, and raising awareness about the importance of music as part of each child's complete education. Donate.Educate.Rock.

CBGB OMFUG (Country, Blue Grass and Blues and Other Music For Uplifting Gormandizers) was founded in 1973 and quickly forsook its namesake musical styles to become a forum for rock and punk bands including Blondie, Talking Heads, Television, Patti Smith Group, Richard Hell & the Voidoids, The Ramones, and Green Day. The club closed in October 2006. The final show on its stage was performed by Patti Smith.

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