It’s a nightmare scenario that few have to face: a fire ignites, spreads through a home, and in a heartbeat all the treasures of one’s life are destroyed.
Unfortunately, Doyle Schaeffer, erstwhile guitarist for the Angel Sluts, suffered that very series of events earlier this week when flames engulfed his apartment. Suddenly, his only worldly possessions were the clothes on his back.
Almost immediately, the Memphis music community stepped up to help as K.B. Jones and Becca Smith set up a GoFundMe page to solicit contributions. In a testament to the city’s tight-knit scene, that page has already met its goal of $20,000, yet continues to grow as donations pour in.
As Jones and Smith wrote on the fundraising page, “Now, picture the anguish of also losing a beloved furry companion. Doyle’s cherished cat, Michelangelo (aka Mikey), was unable to escape the fire, leaving a void in his heart that can never be filled. In the aftermath of this harrowing event, Doyle finds himself facing an uphill battle to rebuild his life from scratch.”
Schaeffer is best known as a latter-day member of the no-frills punk band the Angel Sluts, adding his guitar to two EPs, Suesie Was a Nihilist and Love Sweet Love, both dating back to 2011. Though the band has since released an archival album, Live at the Buccaneer, recorded in the mid-2000s, Schaeffer was not part of last year’s record release show, which featured only the original four band members.
Nonetheless, Harry Koniditsiotis, aka Switchblad Kid, founding member of the Angel Sluts, invoked the camaraderie of musicians in support of Schaeffer in a recent social media post addressing the tragedy. “A band is a family,” he wrote. “We fight, we break up, we put BS aside and get together to help each other out when one of us is in trouble. Our brother Doyle is going through a rough time and can use all of our support.”
Koniditsiotis then announced a further fundraising event in which Schaeffer will appear as a full-fledged band member. On April 5th, the Hi Tone Cafe will host a benefit show, For the Love of Doyle, featuring the Angel Sluts’ latter-day lineup. “Come see Doyle and Timmy do their punk rock Bert and Ernie routine!” he wrote. The benefit will also feature Risky Whispers and Heavy Machine Gun. All of which is proof positive of the unshakeable solidarity that Memphis musicians share, especially when one of their own is in need.
