From CBGB to the World: A Downtown Diaspora Featured Session at SXSW 2018 [Video]

"There wasn’t a feeling of winning the lottery. There wasn’t this idea of if we play our cards right, we can play that mansion. It was like - if we play our cards right, then we can do something we love." - Chris Stamey

In From CBGB to the World: A Downtown Diaspora, Rolling Stone Senior Writer David Fricke moderates a conversation about the lasting cultural impact of the iconic NYC venue CBGB, featuring a group of musicians and creatives who were regulars of the stage and bar. Joining Fricke is Tina Weymouth (Talking Heads & Tom Tom Club), Chris Frantz (Talking Heads & Tom Tom Club), Chris Stamey (The dB’s), Richard Lloyd (Television), and Julia Gorton (rock photographer).

The conversation focuses in on NYC’s rock scene as the seventies ended, a period when the music was being reimagined and the economics of the city provided a place for the next generation of “starving artists” to hone their craft and find inspiration in the gritty atmosphere. More than just a history lesson, the speakers also talk about aspects of the musical creative process that are timeless - the willingness to suffer for your art, the drive to pursue art through adversity, and the importance of finding a unique musical identity.

"I always tell young people who want to be professional musicians - be prepared to make very good friends with lady poverty, and find a dive that nobody else plays out so no one can take it out from under you." - Richard Lloyd

Watch the video above for the full 2018 SXSW Featured Session From CBGB to the World: A Downtown Diaspora, where the speakers share personal accounts of what the venue meant to those involved before it would go on to gain its mythical status. Learn from a diverse group of thought leaders at SXSW – browse more 2018 Keynotes, Featured Sessions, Red Carpets, and Q&A’s on our YouTube Channel.

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Teaser Photo by Ismael Quintanilla/Getty Images