In 1997, Jason Stollsteimer and Marcie Bolen attended a concert by

In 1997, Jason Stollsteimer and Marcie Bolen attended a concert by The Cramps and the Japanese garage punk band Guitar Wolf . At the time, Stollsteimer was working a job as a bowling alley bartender and Marcie as a hairdresser. The performance spurred them to create their own band, Baby Killers, which toured with fellow Detroit bands The Detroit Cobras , The Go , and The White Stripes . After recruiting Don Blum on drums and Lauren Wilcox on bass, the band changed their name to The Von Bondies. The band got their break by playing a New Year’s Eve show in Detroit , Michigan , in 2000. In attendance at the show was Long Gone John , owner of the Sympathy for the Record Industry label. This led the quartet to recorded the singles “It Came from Japan”, an ode to Guitar Wolf, and “Nite Train”.