amarchords

Phila's glorious post-punk era had at its hub The East Side Club, where some of the more interesting bands of a generation -- The Cramps, Gang of Four etc -- held forth on the weekends with some of our better local bands in the opening slots. Certain cities are chauvanistic about their role in punk/post punk history, but I think Henry Rollins was right to say that no matter what/where your town, there was something about it, a band or a label or a zine, that was as interesting as anything anywhere. Towns like Akron and Athens (GA) had scenes every bit as inspiring and influential as whatever came out of NYC or LA.

It was an inspiring time to be into music and to have a fake ID.

I wrote "Tracy Lee" about a girl who I knew back then, who also frequented the East Side and the other places where the music was interesting. There was always a cadre of beautiful art school girls who came out dancing every weekend.

The most wonderful thing about the whole scene was the music. The music was the hub. This clip of the Cramps is meaningful to me for a few reasons: First off, I saw this line-up on this tour at the East Side, with the Gun Club opening. Secondly, I met the first girl I ever loved (my first serious girlfriend)that night. I was 15, had a really good fake I.D., and a really cute girlfriend. Lastly, this is what Lux and Kid Congo were actually wearing on the gig I saw.

Were that life could always be like that.

Music and clubs and scenes came and went like they always come and go.

I still can't dance, the East Side is long gone, Lux Interior has left us too soon, and Tracy is still quite pretty. You really can't hold back time or change, I guess. So maybe it's best just to write songs about it and trawl youtube for old video.