If you go * What: Road to Nightfall * When: 8 p.m. Saturday, March 26 * Where: Revelry Room, 41 E. 14th St. * Amission: $10

In the late 1970s, Richard Lloyd was playing guitar for Television at a then-unknown new club in New York City called CBGBs. The club, the band and Lloyd would go on to become legendary in music circles. Now, Lloyd has moved to the Chattanooga area with his wife, Sheila, and he's ready to "make a scene."

"We gotta a make a scene somehow," he said while giving a tour of his new digs.

"I do plan on getting involved, if I can find musicians that are worthy," he said.

"Usually, where I go, there develops a scene, and if it doesn't work out here, I'll kiss it goodbye," he said with a laugh. "I think the town is up and coming. We just gotta get the music scene happening. But places like Athens [Ga.], Minneapolis, Seattle, all had their glimpses of CBGBs-style scenes."

Lloyd will serve as a judge for the finals of the Road to Nightfall competition among local bands vying for cash, studio time and the right to headline one of the Friday night shows during the summer series. He will be joined on the panel by Carla Pritchard, owner of Chattanooga Presents, which presents Nightfall; Richard Windham of WUTC-FM 88.1; Mike Dougher with Revelry Room; and Chris Cobb, owner of Exit/In in Nashville. Lloyd will headline a Nightfall show on May 13.

Lloyd said he is happy to serve as a judge.

"I like panels," he said. "I'll be the Simon Cowell. I don't give much leeway."

Jonathan Susman, whose Gig City Productions is producing the event, said having Lloyd serve as a judge raises the bar for everyone.

"To have a musician of that caliber to be able to listen to our local bands and to see what we have going on and add his insight is remarkable for the city. It's great for everyone."

CBGB's, which was so named because it was originally intended to showcase country, bluegrass and blues, instead became essentially the home club for Television and helped spawn the punk rock and new wave music movement. Bands like Blondie, the Ramones, Patti Smith Group and Talking Heads all played there regularly before hitting it big. The club closed in 2006.

Lloyd said he and his wife and their dog, Willie Mays, moved here, "because her parents are here and New York is not what it used to be. Times Square has become Disneyfied, CBGBs is gone, and even Brooklyn, nothing important is coming out of it."

Chattanooga's proximity gives him easy access to most of the Eastern part of the country, and the farm the couple is now living on has plenty of room for walking around and enjoying the fresh air. It also offers him plenty of space to play and write his music and paint.

The first room he set up in the new living space was his office. Every inch of the wall space is covered with his original paintings.

"I am very happy here," he said.

He's also in the middle of setting up his music studio.

"I plan to paint, fix up the studio, bring down some guys to record an album and tour," he said.

Contact staff writer Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.