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GREENSBORO — Max Benbassat didn’t set out to pay tribute to a legendary New York punk rock club when he named his Greensboro art gallery and performance space CFBG.

“It wasn’t meant to be a CBGB reference, but the punk kids love it, so that’s cool,” he says, referring to the Manhattan venue that launched the careers of the Ramones, Television, Blondie and Talking Heads in the 1970s. “But that wasn’t the idea. In fact, I even thought about adding a letter to it so it wouldn’t sound like that.”

CFBG is actually an acronym for Campaign for a Better Greensboro, and the venue hosts events such as burlesque shows and interactive art events in a space that formerly housed a musical-instrument repair shop.

On a Friday night, the punk kids are out in force, stretching the Chapman Street club to the limit of its 49-person capacity.

“I enjoy the atmosphere because it feels like a house show, and I love house shows,” says Nico Keiffer of Thomasville, checking out CFBG for the first time.

Inside, punk bands play a series of short sets, with the moshers occasionally slamming into a microphone stand but never disturbing the art on the walls.

Outside, a guy in a Stormtroopers of Death T-shirt praises the club’s demographics.

“It’s a good place for young people to listen to good music,” he says, identifying himself as Felix Thoughtcrime. “It’s a good place that old people don’t come to. Man, old people run this town. They’ve got all the money.”

Four of the bands on the bill are from the Triad: Pinto Brains, Fuss, Ratpoospa and Radio Reds. Another band, Rogue Nations, has driven in from Charlotte. CFGB hosts only bands that play original music, Benbassat says.

“We started out doing punk shows,” he says. “It’s an art gallery by trade. But we rent it out by day to people for band practice, art class, dance class, too. And then at night we have shows promoting the visual arts. We do music, too. And we always have artwork up on sale at our shows.”

Benbassat grew up in North Carolina, returning to the Triad after eight years in New York City. He also does marketing work for the N.C. Adult Soccer Association.

He takes his campaign for a better Greensboro seriously — adopting a stretch of East Wendover Avenue and offering use of his gallery for benefits and other activities.

“I love it here, man,” he says. “I wanted this to be kind of like a cultural center for Greensboro. We’re gonna start working more and more with nonprofits.

“This is an open invitation to any nonprofit that wants to use the center. It’s free for them to use it.”

The gallery currently features work by Angelo Romano, a 76-year-old mixed-media artist from Spain who lives in New York, along with local artists Elizabeth Lustig and Anne Derringer. Michael Trotter serves as gallery manager.

CFBG opened in 2009, getting a boost when it added alcohol sales in October.

“We weren’t making any money, and it was very difficult to control the crowd at that point, too, because people just brought in whatever they wanted to,” Benbassat says.

The venue has started to make a modest profit, he says, offering live music about once a week and other events from time to time. Benbassat continues to improve the space.

“It’s my baby,” he says. “It was just a shell when we first started. I had to put drywall up, new flooring down. It’s still a work in progress. I still have a lot more work to do.”

Contact Eddie Huffman at ehuffman@triad.rr.com