Exclusive | I saw Iggy Pop at Brooklyn's first CBGB Festival. He proved punk isn't dead

"On Saturday, Sept. 27, hardcore and punk fans of all ages gathered in Brooklyn for the 2025 CBGB Music Festival - the first of its kind and not at all like the 2012 edition in Times Square and Central Park - at Brooklyn's Under The K Bridge Park the with the illuminated Manhattan skyline serving as a hollow backdrop. The trendy Greenpoint neighborhood is a far cry from the sacred cave of a bar on the Bowery, where music luminaries like Blondie, the Beastie Boys and the Misfits unleashed pioneering music that defined the burgeoning genre."

"Shuttered in 2006, the city icon was of a long-gone era; many, myself included, were skeptical that the heavily-sponsored event could honor the legacy of founder Hilly Kristal's den of outsiders and geniuses. (Spoiler: Aye, it did.) My misgivings softened as I walked to the venue alongside a man in a plaid kilt. Down the thoroughway, we were spit out into a concrete waterfront park under the Kosciuszko Bridge. There was a crackling excitement in the air, although crazy long lines for food and merch were definitely a buzz kill."

"Among three stages in an impressively expansive area, sat three stages: The CBGB StageHilly's Stagewhere the most authentic line-up of the original venue enraptured fans, including Marky Ramone where main acts like the Lunachicks, Iggy Pop and Jack White were scheduled to performThe Young Punks Stagefor the rising next-gen, including the Linda Lindas and Scowl and, lastly - and furthest from all else..."

Hardcore and punk fans of all ages gathered in Brooklyn on Sept. 27 for the 2025 CBGB Music Festival at Under The K Bridge Park, with the Manhattan skyline as a backdrop. The Greenpoint waterfront location contrasted sharply with the original Bowery bar where punk pioneers like Blondie and the Misfits emerged. Many attendees were initially skeptical that a heavily sponsored festival could honor Hilly Kristal's legacy, but the event captured a crackling excitement despite long lines for food and merch. The festival featured three stages—Hilly's Stage, the CBGB Stage and the Young Punks Stage—mixing original-scene acts and rising next-gen bands.

Read at New York Post