ON THE TOWN: What do Screaming Jay...

ON THE TOWN: What do Screaming Jay Hawkins, the Party Boys, Snakefinger, the Fibonaccis and (how’s this for a great name) the 17 Pygmies have in common? They’ll all be playing at Charley’s Obsession, a new downtown club that opens this weekend at the corner of 5th and Spring streets.

In addition to live music on the weekends, the club will feature non-stop dance music (from polkas to industrial funk), surprise acts (including fire-eaters and marching bands), videos and a rotating display of original artwork. According to co-owner Robert Gero: “It’s going to be an interactive club. Most people go to clubs these days just to see a particular band, but we want people to come here to enjoy the space itself. We want it to be like a cabaret, where you may not always be sure what’s going to be going on, but it’ll always be unusual. It’s the kind of place where you can see a headliner one night, and then the next night you can see a clown who tells awful jokes and does transvestite balloon tricks.” This week’s shows feature Hawkins Friday and the Party Boys Saturday.