Episode Description
On this episode of Scene Support, Scott talks with writer, musician, and longtime New York downtown-scene insider Gabriel Rotello about his new novel, The CBGB Conspiracy. Set in the sweltering chaos of New York City in 1977, the book blends punk history, murder mystery, and real cultural flashpoints including CBGB, the blackout, Son of Sam, the Everard Bathhouse fire, and the downtown artists, musicians, and misfits who helped define an era.
Gabriel shares stories from his years in the city, from moving to New York in 1974 to playing music, witnessing the rise of CBGB, working with Ronnie Spector, and later shifting into writing, activism, and documentary television. The conversation digs into scene memory, the communal power of music, how punk and hip-hop grew out of the same broken city, and what gets lost when legendary places become history.
A deep dive into underground culture, survival, storytelling, and the people who kept the scene alive.
Gabriel Rotello:
DCxPC Live:
Executive Producer: Trev Allen from Struggling Artist Record Club
Intro song by Joshua “Danger” DobbsJoshua “Danger” Dobbs / Danger Room Recording
About Scene Support: DCxPC Live Presents: Scene Support spotlights the bookers, promoters, sound techs, zine writers, photographers, venue workers, label people, and community builders who keep DIY and underground music moving.