John Varvatos

"This is a venue with a lot of history," said Tom Morello, the Harlem-born guitarist for political rock-rap group Rage Against The Machine, standing onstage at 315 Bowery early Friday morning. He was referring to CBGB, the legendary rock club that used to occupy that address.

"We can take it higher than it's ever been before," said Mr. Morello, who was joined onstage by a number of big-name musicians, including Jerry Cantrell, Perry Farrell and an openly smoking-ban-flouting Slash, in celebrating the grand reopening of the hallowed music hall. Concerts like these will happen only occassionally now, however, as the venue has become a high-end rock-themed clothing boutique.

"We're gonna jump the fuck up and down," Mr. Morello told the packed crowd, many of whom had shelled out $75 per ticket to attend the charity concert, which also included performances by Ronnie Spector, Ian Hunter and Joan Jett. "I wanna see everybody jump," he said, including "the guy selling $300 T-shirts."

That guy was John Varvatos, the fashion designer who now operates the former CBGB space.  read more »

Demonstrators who picketed the new John Varvatos boutique on the Bowery last week plan a second wave of protests tonight, as the fashion designer celebrates the store's grand opening with a splashy charity concert.

The shop is located on the site of the former legendary rock club CBGB, which shuttered in 2006 after a lengthly rent dispute with its landlord.

"We'll have more humorous (and pointed) neon pink signs..." e-mailed activist Rebecca Moore, who last week carried a placard reading "ONE 'SMALL' LOSS OF A MUSIC SPACE, ONE LARGE STEP FOR PANTS."

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John Varvatos may be bringing live music back to the old CBGB location this week. But don’t get too used to it.

“I’m not going to be a club promoter,” said the 54-year-old fashion designer, who is hosting a charity concert on Thursday to celebrate the grand opening of his new eponymous boutique in the former rock-club space.  read more »

Ian Hunter is performing at CBGB!

Well, sort of.

That stage we mentioned earlier that is built into the newly-opened John Varvatos store in the CBGB space is actually going to have live performances every month according to John Varvatos rep, Dace Morris.  read more »

There were rumors going around town that everyone from Chase bank to New York University to a Duane Reade was vying for the CBGB space on the Bowery. But it was John Varvatos that ended up taking over the lease after long-time occupant and club-founder Hilly Kristal was booted out.  read more »

John Varvatos, the Detroit-born-and-bred men’s wear designer known for both his clothes and creams, has just been named GQ’s “Designer of the Year.” Mr. Varvatos will join 19 other gents, politicos, dandies and jocks in the book’s December issue, marking its 12th annual “Men of the Year” rundown.

GQ's other 2007 honorees are listed after the jump.  read more »

DNR is reporting that fashion designer John Varvatos' new boutique in the former CBGB space on the Bowery will feature "a permanent stage, which will be home to a new-artist performance series."

The live music component is part of Mr. Varvatos' self-described effort "to honor what [CBGB] was, instead of seeing it turn into a deli or a bank or whatever."

Mr. Varvatos isn't so nostaglic for the old punk club to restore its famously seedy, smelly, graffiti-strewn restrooms, however.  read more »

The sprawl of 13,000 square feet on the Bowery that was once CBGB's has been leased, in whole or in part, not totally clear, by John Varvatos for a boutique!

Bill Popp, who played CBGB from 1981 until its closing last year, mourned the Bowery's turn for the purse.

"Now it's going to become a contrived type of store, with prices only for the yuppies who are taking over the neighborhood," he lamented.

• The New York Post