Chicago sonic-punk band the Jesus Lizard is headed to singer David Yow's hometown of Austin for a regular Texas showdown. |

Melissa Slepekis, an Austin native who knew very little about the band before attending a concert in May of 1996, filed suit against Yow for allegedly striking her in the jaw -- causing permanent damage -- with a nearly full beer can during a show. Not only did she sue the singer, but she also sued the rest of the Jesus Lizard, its booking agent (Chicago's Pyrite, Inc.), the club where the incident allegedly occurred (Austin's Liberty Lunch) and even the band's label, Capitol Records. The suit against Capitol was subsequently dropped, but the rest are scheduled for an Austin court date on June 15.

"I don't want to talk about it," said Yow, who has been known to dive headlong into the crowd and pull his pants down. The first stunt got him permanently banned from performing in Seattle by the fire marshal's office in 1996. The latter earned him an arrest in Cincinnati while on the Lollapalooza tour a year earlier.

The 37-year-old singer defiantly avoided discussing the Austin case, but he did note the irony of being prosecuted in the city he claims gave birth to his notorious behavior. Yow and Jesus Lizard bassist David Sims formed their first band, Scratch Acid, in Austin in 1981.

"I blame Austin and all the punk rock that I was weaned on there for making me who I am," he said, later adding that his antics are "part of the show."

John Anderson, attorney for the injured fan, was unsympathetic to Yow's claim of showmanship. "(Slepekis) has had fairly expensive medical treatment, and it's likely to get a lot more expensive," he said, explaining that a joint in her jaw was dislocated by the flying beer can. "Somebody needs to take responsibility."

Slepekis, by the way, did know enough to stand far back from the stage during the infamous concert, Anderson said. She's not a fan, but her husband is. Make that "was." (Chris Riemenschneider)