The Von Bondies are a garage rock/ blues band from Detroit, Michigan.
Around the turn of the century, two ex-college roommates, Jason Stollsteimer and Marcie Bolen, attended a concert by Japanese rock & roll giants Guitar Wolf. At the time, Stollsteimer was working a dead-end job as a bowling alley bartender. The performance spurred the pair to create their own band, and Stollsteimer replaced his drinking habits with devotion to guitar playing. After recruiting Lauren Wilcox (who was later replaced by Carrie Smith) on bass and Detroit-scene veteran Don Blum on percussion, the band was named the Babykillers. This was thankfully changed to the Von Bondies when the former name proved to be too offensive.
While playing a handful of shows in the Detroit area, the quartet recorded singles It Came From Japan, an ode to Guitar Wolf, and Nite Train. Jack White of the White Stripes along with the Dirtbombs' Jim Diamond later produced the Von Bondies' debut album, Lack of Communication, in late 2001. It was recorded in only three days; new bassist Carrie Smith had only been with the band for three months. However, the album was an underground success with the indie crowd, and the Von Bondies soon found themselves in possession of a small but loyal fanbase.
The Von Bondies entered a European tour with the White Stripes, gaining them some well-earned recognition. Bolen and White were dating during this tour, and it was their later breakup (as well as Stollsteimer's allegations that Bolen was not "pulling her wight" during the tour) that may have fueled some of the tension between the two bands. Nonetheless, with the cessation of the European tour, the bands were at fairly good terms, and the Von Bondies found themselves becoming increasingly popular.
The Von Bondies, unsatisfied with the unpolished sound and production of their debut album, recorded a set of BBC performances ( Peel Sessions), which were compiled into the band's live album Raw and Rare. Its 2003 release felt like the debut album the Von Bondies had always hoped for. Unfortunately, some of Stollsteimer's comments about the muddy sound on Lack of Communication were misconstrued by the media into something much more negative. These miscommunications prompted the confrontation at the Magic Stick club in Detroit in 2003.
