You Knocked On My Door And My Whole House Fell Apart

I got a heads up from a friend about a good party so I ended up in West Germany for the night: "5 euro or roll the dice and pay what it lands on. Plus free cake and a band." So, wondering about the cake, and the band, i got there by around midnight. I probably lost ten minutes trying to find the way in. i arrived at the right street address, but ended up wandering up some random stairs and parading around an abandoned courtyard wondering where the fun was. ("Beat It" by Michael Jackson was playing in my headphones, I really thought he was going to jump out from behind a wall and start moonwalking around me.) Looking around a corner I thought, this must be it when I saw that poster stuck on a door.

I rolled a five at the door, and when I got inside the band has just taken to the stage. They were like this 60's outfit. With a banjo, double bass, saxaphone, fancy drumming and rock and roll teurquoise guitar playing.

Snippets of lyrics that i caught:

"..like a love shanghai.."

"..my heart has rusty hinges.."

"..you knocked on my door and my whole house fell apart"

" you wanna stay up late? i've got days and days of tapes.."

"repitition. repitition. repitition. repitition. repitition. repitition."



I tried to find out who they were and asked the drummer. They might have been The Jimmy EEojodadjisad Incarnation. They might have been anything at all. I don't know if I wasn't hearing properly because I'd been standing beside the speaker for most of the show or because they just have a really complicated name. Encores went on and on and on on. First just Jimmy, (Timmy? Tammy?) then Jimmy and the bassist/banjo player, then the bassist/banjo player took over the singing as Jimmy clambered behind the drums to rock out there for a bit. It had been jazzy drumming until he got his hands on the drumsticks. He played like, BANG BANG ROCK AND ROLL. Then the drummer came back and there was a 10 minute excursion called "Reincarnation" (see last lyrics snippet.)

Previously a doctor's office,West Germany is another "home-made" venue, like Mama's. Most of the ceiling tiles were gone, you can see a little in the photograph how parts of the wall were ripped out. Mattress pinned up against the window, etc etc. Thankfully the police didn't come and bust it up. Tonight was a Save the Cake affair. There was free cake, I had some of the last slice of strawberry cheesecake, ha ha! The place was decorated beautifully with "baking art". Huge cupcakes were hanging from the ceiling, and adorning the walls were a series of oil on canvas: blender, cupcake, spatula, mixing bowl..I signed up to get notice of future Save the Cake happenings, I want seconds!



After the band 2 djs took over and played some very fancy tunes. Like the Sonics, Rolling Stones, Temptations. I swear, i had just thought of the Slits' version of "Heard it Through the Grapevine" when that older version came on! I also dropped my beer by the coats while attempting to shimmy along to it. They will be back again in a few nights time, this Friday in Sherriff Teddy's. From what i saw they were mostly working with vinyl. I didn't get his name, but one of them told me that next time, if i pass him the cd inconspicuously, he might play Gloria Jones' "Tainted Love" for me.