Best Cbgb Podcasts (2025)

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105 -- Prison Bound: Artists Who Did Hard Time 1:47:10

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3d ago1:47:10

1:47:10

The world of music is full of interesting characters, and some of them are unfortunately bad people. In this episode of Prisoners of Rock and Roll, we’re following our namesake by talking about musicians who did time in prison. We have a long list of artists from different genres who spent some time behind bars, and we’re going to talk about them, …

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#468 Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue": A Jazz-Age Drama 1:06:27

6d ago1:06:27

1:06:27

On January 3, 1924, 25-year-old George Gershwin was shooting pool in a Manhattan billiard hall when his brother Ira Gershwin read aloud a shocking newspaper article: "George Gershwin is at work on a jazz concerto." There was just one problem—George had never agreed to write any such piece. What happened next would change American music forever. In …

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History Daily: Pirate Tales! 32:49

13d ago32:49

32:49

We love the podcast History Daily, a co-production from award winning podcasters Airship and Noiser, so we're presenting two episodes with a very similar theme -- pirates! -- July 6, 1699. The arrest of Captain William Kidd ends the reign of plunder of one of history's most infamous pirates and sparks rumors of buried treasure -- November 16th, 172…

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#467 The Brooklyn Theatre Fire: The Forgotten Gilded Age Tragedy 48:53

20d ago48:53

48:53

On the evening of December 5, 1876, the glorious Brooklyn Theatre caught fire, trapping its audience in a nightmare of flame and smoke. The theater sat near Brooklyn City Hall (today's Brooklyn Borough Hall), and the blaze which destroyed it could be seen as far away as Prospect Park. The terrible truth emerged by the morning -- almost 300 people d…

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#466 Pete's Tavern and McSorley's Old Ale House 1:23:56

27d ago1:23:56

1:23:56

The ultimate bar crawl of Old New York continues through a survey of classic bars and taverns that trace their origins from the 1850s through the 1880s. And this time we're recording within two of America's most famous establishments, joined by the people who know that history the best. In Part One, we introduced you to the origin story of New York…

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#465 The Oldest Bars in New York City 1:20:03

1M ago1:20:03

1:20:03

We’ve put together the ultimate New York City historic bar crawl, a celebration of the city’s old taverns, pubs, and ale houses with 18th- and 19th-century connections. And along the way, you’ll learn so much about the city’s overall history — from its changing shoreline to the everyday lives of its working-class immigrant populations. Being an old…

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#464 New York: The City of Oysters 1:24:27

1M ago1:24:27

1:24:27

Once upon a time New York City oysters were not only plentiful and healthy in the harbor, they were an everyday, common food source. The original fast food! For that reason, the oyster could be an official New York City mascot. Oyster farming was a major occupation. Oyster houses were an incredibly common place for people to eat. The greatest resta…

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104 -- Does Yacht Rock Suck? 1:20:06

1M ago1:20:06

1:20:06

In this episode of Prisoners of Rock and Roll, we’re sailing into the open waters of yacht rock and asking the burning question that needs to be asked: does yacht rock suck? Is it a rock rebel’s nightmare or sunlight escapism? The musical equivalent of enjoying a cocktail on a sunset cruise or more like being on that Titan submarine that imploded a…

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#463 Gilded Age Golden Girls (Live At City Winery) 1:27:10

2M ago1:27:10

1:27:10

A special presentation of our live show Bowery Boys History Live, recorded at City Winery, July 2, 2025 Bowery Boys History Live is a storytelling cabaret of all-true tales and spellbinding secrets from the past, hosted by Greg Young of the Bowery Boys Podcast and brought to you by a rotating roster of the city’s greatest historians. And for this s…

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Spirits Podcast: Urban Legends with Greg Young 54:03

2M ago54:03

54:03

Ready for a little summertime spookfest? This week we're thrilled to present to you a podcast appearance Greg made back in April on the Spirits Podcast. Hosted by Amanda McLoughlin and Julia Schifini, the Spirits Podcast is a weekly conversational show about all things ghosts, mythology, folklore and urban legends. If you like fun spooky things, ad…

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103 -- Hair Metal Meltdown: The Bands Killed By Grunge 1:37:49

2M ago1:37:49

1:37:49

Today, we’re diving into the unrelenting collapse of hair metal empire. A music scene that crashed harder than Vince Neil's drunk driving accident killed Razzle Dingley. Sure, bands like Def Leppard, Motley Crue, and Poison are still out on the road, playing for nostalgic crowds of people who yearn to hear those power chords. But for every one of t…

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#462 The Jersey Shore Shark Attacks of 1916 48:58

2M ago48:58

48:58

TERROR ON THE BEACH! Seaside resorts from Cape May, New Jersey, to Montauk, Long Island, were paralyzed in fear during the summer of 1916. Not because of the threat of lurking German U-boats and saboteurs. But because of sharks.On July 1, 1916, Charles Epting Vansant was killed by a shark while swimming at a resort in Beach Haven, a popular destina…

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The Gilded Age Mansions of Fifth Avenue 1:29:27

2M ago1:29:27

1:29:27

At the heart of New York’s Gilded Age — the late 19th-century era of unprecedented American wealth and excess — were families with the names Astor, Waldorf, Schermerhorn, and Vanderbilt, alongside power players like A.T. Stewart, Jay Gould and William “Boss” Tweed. They would all make their homes — and in the case of the Vanderbilts, their great ma…

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102 -- It Takes Two: Great Duets 1:18:38

2M ago1:18:38

1:18:38

Ladies and gentlemen, gather ‘round the mic because in this episode of Prisoners of Rock and Roll, we’re exploring some of music’s greatest duets – where two voices come together like Jack and Coke, peanut butter and jelly, or Snoop dog and weed. We’ve got a pretty solid list of crossovers and collaborations that will have you saying, “oh yeah, I r…

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#461 The Story of Inwood and Marble Hill 1:36:11

3M ago1:36:11

1:36:11

People who live in Inwood know how truly special it is. Manhattan's northernmost neighborhood (aside from Marble Hill) feels like it's outside of the city -- and in some places, even outside of time and space. Unlike the lower Manhattan's flat avenues and organized streets, Inwood varies wildly in elevation and its streets wind up hills and down in…

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Children of the Gilded Age 50:01

3M ago50:01

50:01

The children of the Gilded Age were seen but not heard. Until now! Listener favorite Esther Crain, author and creator of Ephemeral New York joins The Gilded Gentleman for a look at the world of children during the Gilded Age. As she shared in the episode “Invisible Magicians: Domestic Servants in Gilded Age New York” with writings by actual servant…

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#460 The Brooklyn Museum and the Birth of a New City 52:03

3M ago52:03

52:03

While you may know the Brooklyn Museum for its wildly popular cutting-edge exhibitions, the borough's premier art institution can actually trace its origins back to a more rustic era -- and to the birth of the city of Brooklyn itself. On July 4, 1825, the growing village laid a cornerstone for its new Brooklyn Apprentices Library, an educational in…

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101 -- The FBI's Greatest Hits: Musicians Under Surveillance 1:30:44

3M ago1:30:44

1:30:44

In this episode of Prisoners of Rock and Roll, we’re looking at the clash between music and The Man diving into times when the FBI investigated musicians. In 1956, J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI created a covert and legally questionable program called COINTELPRO with the goal of disrupting groups that the Feds considered to be subversive – communists, black…

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#459 Moses vs. Bard: The Battle for Castle Clinton 1:09:38

3M ago1:09:38

1:09:38

In 1939, Robert Moses sprung his latest project upon the world -- the Brooklyn-Battery Bridge, connecting the tip of Manhattan to the Brooklyn waterfront, slicing through New York Harbor just to the north of Governor's Island. To build it, Moses dictated that the historic Battery Park would need to be redesigned. And its star attraction the New Yor…

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The Trial of John Peter Zenger (Rewind) 48:25

4M ago48:25

48:25

A long, long time ago in New York — in the 1730s, back when the city was a holding of the British, with a little over 10,000 inhabitants — a German printer named John Peter Zenger decided to print a four-page newspaper called the New York Weekly Journal. This is pretty remarkable in itself, as there was only one other newspaper in town called the N…

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100 -- Running With the Devil with The Blue Meanie 1:49:03

4M ago1:49:03

1:49:03

Van Halen was one of the greatest American rock and roll bands of all time, captivating audiences with their energetic performances, innovative guitar riffs, and catchy lyrics. Led by guitar virtuoso Eddie Van Halen, Van Halen created the perfect blend of hard rock with some pop sensibilities.. Even as their sound evolved over the years as they swi…

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#458 Parkways and the Transformation of Brooklyn 55:43

4M ago55:43

55:43

When Prospect Park was first opened to the public in the late 1860s, the City of Brooklyn was proud to claim a landmark as beautiful and as peaceful as New York’s Central Park. But the superstar landscape designers — Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux — weren’t finished. This park came with two grand pleasure drives, wide boulevards that emanat…

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99 - Low-End Legends: Bass Players 1:53:42

4M ago1:53:42

1:53:42

In this episode of Prisoners of Rock and Roll, we’re diving into the shadows of the stage—the bass players, the four-string rebels who hold down the low end.. These aren’t just rhythm keepers; they’re the heartbeat of rock, the growl in the groove. We’ve put together a list of some of the most iconic bass players in music history. James Jamerson, t…

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#457 FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD 59:46

4M ago59:46

59:46

On October 29, 1975, President Gerald Ford walked into a press conference at the National Press Club and, using more precise, more eloquent words than legend remembers, but in no uncertain terms, told New York City that the federal government was not going to bail it out. The following day the New York Daily News -- the city's first tabloid newspap…

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#456 Walking New York: Manhattan History on Foot with Keith Taillon 59:07

5M ago59:07

59:07

Join us for an interview with Instagram historian Keith Taillon (@keithyorkcity), whose detailed posts about New York's history have earned him nearly 60,000 followers and launched a successful tour business. Keith shares the story behind his remarkable pandemic project of walking every single block of Manhattan in 2020, capturing the empty city in…

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#455 House of Beauty: The Story of the Frick Collection 1:12:10

5M ago1:12:10

1:12:10

We invite you to come with us inside one of America’s most interesting art museums – an institution that is BOTH an art gallery and a historic home. This is The Frick Collection, located at 1 East 70th Street, within the former Fifth Avenue mansion of Gilded Age mogul Henry Clay Frick, containing many pieces that the steel titan himself purchased, …

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98 - From Grace to Glory: A Tribute to John McCusker 1:40:53

5M ago1:40:53

1:40:53

Prisoners of Rock and Roll is a show where we talk about music, the people who make it, and the everlasting effect it has on us. Today’s episode is personal. Last week, we lost Ryan’s dad John McCusker – he was a South Philadelphia icon who always put his family first, the owner of McCusker’s Tavern, a friend to thousands, a diehard baseball fan, a…

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#454 Special Delivery: A History of the Post Office 1:22:59

5M ago1:22:59

1:22:59

The history of the United States Postal Service as it plays out in the streets of New York City -- from the first post road to the first postage stamps. From the most beautiful post office in the country to the forgotten Gilded Age landmark that was once considered the ugliest post office. The postal service has always served as the country's circu…

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97 -- The Many Lineups and Lives of Lollapalooza 1:31:46

5M ago1:31:46

1:31:46

In this episode of Prisoners of Rock and Roll, we’re stage-diving into the sweaty, dusty madness of Lollapalooza—a festival that started as a punk-rock farewell tour and turned into a genre-crushing, culture-shaping juggernaut with more lives than Keith Richards. Lollapalooza launched in 1991 as a sendoff for Jane’s Addiction—but it hit the road ju…

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#453 All The Beauty In The World: Guarding the Met with Patrick Bringley 58:53

6M ago58:53

58:53

A special bonus episode! Two years ago we featured Patrick Bringley on the show, the author of All The Beauty In The World (Simon & Schuster), regarding his experiences as a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the life lessons he learned strolling silently past priceless works of art. The book has become a massive best-seller world…

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#452 How New York Got Its Name 1:10:32

6M ago1:10:32

1:10:32

It's one of the most foundational questions we could ever ask on this show -- how did New York City get its name? You may know that the English conquered the Dutch settlement of New Netherland (and its port town of New Amsterdam) in 1664, but the details of this history-making day have remained hazy -- until now. Russell Shorto brought the world of…

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96 - CBGB: Punk's Grimy Cathedral 1:33:38

6M ago1:33:38

1:33:38

On this episode of Prisoners of Rock and Roll, we’re stepping into the grimy, graffiti-smeared chaos of CBGB—the legendary Bowery dive that became punk’s ground zero. A Cathedral of Misfits. Picture this: December 1973, Hilly Kristal, a former Marine, opens a bar at 315 Bowery, dreaming of country, bluegrass, and blues. Instead, the junkies and mis…

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#451 The New Yorker Magazine: Talk of the Town for 100 Years 1:11:29

6M ago1:11:29

1:11:29

The New Yorker turns one century old -- and it hasn't aged a day! The witty, cosmopolitan magazine was first published on February 21, 1925. And even though present-day issues are often quite contemporary in content, the magazine's tone and style still recall its glamorous Jazz Age origins. The New Yorker traces itself to members of that legendary …

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95 - The Music of 1995 1:33:27

6M ago1:33:27

1:33:27

On this episode of Prisoners of Rock and Roll, we’re jumping in our musical memory machine and going back 30 years to 1995. Rock and roll still ruled the charts and alternative music was still a thing. We got great albums from Alice in Chains, No Doubt, Mad Season, Oasis, Ozzy, and White Zombie. SIlverchair, the Foo Fighters, the Deftones, Jewel, R…

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At The Movies with Meyers and Young (Side Streets) 59:35

7M ago59:35

59:35

Greg and Tom have taken off their historian hats and have become -- movie critics? Close but not quite! This week we're giving you a 'sneak preview' of their Patreon podcast called Side Streets, a conversational show about New York City and, well, whatever interests them that week. In honor of the Academy Awards, the Bowery Boys hosts pay homage to…

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#450 Harlem in the Jazz Age: A Renaissance in New York 1:23:32

7M ago1:23:32

1:23:32

This year marks the 100th anniversary of Alain Locke's classic essay "The New Negro" and the literary anthology featuring the work of Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Countee Cullen and other significant black writers of the day. The rising artistic scene would soon be known as the Harlem Renaissance, one of the most important cultural movement…

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94 - The Music & Legacy of Michael Jackson 1:21:29

7M ago1:21:29

1:21:29

Michael Jackson is one of the most influential artists in music history. His talent was undeniable, his impact was massive, and his life… well, it was complicated. On this episode of Prisoners of Rock and Roll, we’re talking about the King of Pop and how he impacted music, music videos, fashion, dance, and culture. But there are also controversies,…

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#449 Italian Harlem: New York's Forgotten Little Italy 1:22:11

7M ago1:22:11

1:22:11

One of America's first great Italian neighborhoods was once in East Harlem, once filled with more southern Italians than Sicily itself, a neighborhood almost entirely gone today except for a couple restaurants, a church and a long-standing religious festival. This is, of course, not New York's' famous "Little Italy," the festive tourist area in low…