.
Spankin'
Along
Acoustic
band driven by doses of 'inspired lunacy.'
BY
VANESSA SALVIA
The Asylum Street Spankers, an Austin, Texas-based band,
took their name from the nickname of a street near the University of
Texas campus that once boasted a row of state mental hospitals and added
"spanker," slang for a musician who "can play an acoustic instrument
both loud and well." This definition of musical proficiency fits well,
as this musical bunch vowed long ago to never play with amplification.
 |
| The
Asylum Street Spankers perform at Sam Bond's Thursday Aug. 14. |
The two original members, Christina Marrs and Wammo,
met at a party at the Dabbs Hotel in Llano, Texas, in 1994. Marrs was
there not to sing, as she does now, but to twirl her fire baton. The
two became friends with Guy Forsyth and set out a plan for a band that
celebrated the great musical traditions of the 20th century with no
amplification. Marrs, just beginning her singing career, was asked to
join in, and the Spankers were born.
The vision was for an acoustic band with weird instrumentation
— Marrs plays musical saw, Wammo plays kazoo, sheets of steel,
washboard. The ragtag bunch that makes up the Spankers take their musical
cues from nearly all the genres that have made American music great
over the last century: ragtime, blues, swing, country, bluegrass, Tin
Pan Alley jazz. They eschew pigeonholing, preferring instead to call
their vaudevillian approach "inspired lunacy." With nearly 10 years
of touring and six albums to their credit they are going strong and
show no signs of stopping.
The Spankers are touring to support the release of their
latest CD, My Favorite Record, and gearing up for their next.
I spoke with Marrs by phone recently, and found out a little more about
them. There's at least a little humor in everything they do, and the
title of the CD is no exception."If a DJ plays a song, they have to
say 'That was the Asylum Street Spankers from My Favorite Record,'
so it's kind of a gag," reveals Marrs.
As far as why they incorporate so many different musical
traditions, Marrs says with so much great music to choose from, why
be passionate about only one type? "I guess we just like so many different
types of music. We're not focused on just one passion. We've never been
afraid to try a song just because it was this genre or that genre or
this era or that era. We do have so many musical influences. We like
having the variety and I think it keeps it interesting."
The Spankers imbue most of their songs with an earthy
humor, singing about sex and drugs, beer and scrotums. The musicians
you see listed on the CD will probably not be the musicians you see
on stage. "The nature of the Spankers is kind of a revolving tour thing.
Wammo and I have been around from the very beginning. Stanley Smith
has been around almost from the very beginning. Guy Forsyth was a founding
member who quit about three-and-a-half years later and still plays local
gigs with us. He's always a strong presence on our records. But this
band is under a constant transformation," explains Marrs.
The ASS have already mastered their next CD, which is
slated for a February release. The CD was recorded live to two track
and features mostly covers that have been in the band's repertoire for
some time but which didn't fit in on past CDs. Uncharacteristic-ally,
a lot of the songs on this upcoming CD are newer, such as the Beastie
Boys "Paul Revere," and Black Flag's "TV Party." Yet, they also reach
all the way back to 1898 for the track "Some of These Days." "Sugar
In My Bowl" was on the Spankers' first album which is now out of print.
The song has remained an audience favorite, and this was a great opportunity
to revisit this wonderful, sexy song. My Favorite Record is a
fun and musically diverse recording, and the Spankers have a wealth
of raucous and risqué back material. Get a dose of it Thursday,
Aug. 14 at Sam Bond's.
Back to Top
ART OF EVERYTHING
513 MAIN ST., COTTAGE GROVE
FR: DJ Dance--8
BLACK FOREST
50 E. 11TH ST. 686-6619
TH: Stage Hogs--9; Rock, blues
FR: Says Us--9:30; Acoustic
SA: Bamiki--9; Reggae
SU: Open mic w/Pete Christie--9
MO: Karaoke w/Jared--9
CAFE LUCKY NOODLE
207 E. 5TH AVE. 484-4777
TH: Raging Family--9:30; Trip-hop
SA: Brothers of Beat--10; R&B, hip hop, reggae
CAFE PARADISO
115 W. BROADWAY 484-9933
TH: Rebel Voices--8; Folk
FR: Corb Lund Trio--9; Roots, country
SA: Hester Beasly--9; Folk, rock, soul funk
MO: Songwriter's Showcase w/Marty Schwarzbauer--8:30
CHAPALA RESTAURANT
68 W. 29TH AVE. 683-5458
SA: Lo Nuestro—6; Latin
WE: Lo Nuestro—6; Latin
 |
| TAB
BENOIT PLAYS THURSDAY AT THE WILD DUCK. |
CLUB RIO BAR & GRILL
444 E. 3RD 484-2927
TH: Must See TV--8
FR: Jake the Cat--6; Jazz
SA: DJ Alberto--9; Salsa
TU: Family Karaoke--6
WE: DJ Mike Wet 'n' Wild Wed.--9
COZMIC PIZZA @ THE STRAND
199 W. 8TH AVE. 607-8618
TH: Jeremy Works--7; Acoustic
FR: Craig Wright, Joe Diehl--4, 7; Acoustic
EMBERS SUPPER CLUB
1811 HWY. 99 N. 688-6564
TH: Billy McCoy—9; Country
FR: Michael Anderson Trio—9; Variety, country
SA: Michael Anderson Trio—9; Variety, country
WE: Billy McCoy—9; Country
FOOL'S PARADISE
460 WILLAMETTE 338-9733
TH: Open mic w/John Crider—7; Jazz, blues
GOOD TIMES
375 E. 7TH AVE. 484-7181
TU: Rooster's Blues
Jam--8
JO FEDERIGO'S
259 E. 5TH AVE. 343-8488
TH: Jo Fed's All Star Jazz Jam-9
FR: J.C. Rico--9;30; Jazz
SA: Ritmo de La Noche--9:30; Latin jazz
SU: Mark Allan--9; Acoustic guitar
MO: Open Mic w/Skip Jones the Boogie Woogie Man—10
TU: Barbara Dzuro—8:30; Jazz piano
WE: Latin Flavor w/Paul Paydos Trio—9; Latin
jazz
JOHN HENRY'S
77 W. BROADWAY 342-3358
TH: '80s night--9
FR: Wheel of Meat--6
The Go Downs, Hot for Chocolate, the Last Chapter--9
SA: (the concubot), Mine 37--9
SU: 32 Moons, Speedshift, PB Army--9
MO: Strange Folks--10; Hip-hop
TU: The Rattlesnakes, Broadcast Oblivion, The
Anxieties, The Dirty Rags--9
WE: Reggae night--10
LAVELLE'S TASTING ROOM
5TH ST. PUBLIC MARKET 338-9875
FR: Gus Russell--5:30; Jazz
SA: Jenny Payne--5:30; Jazz
LONE STAR BAR AND GRILL
I-5 AT COBURG 686-8686
TH: Girls get wild--9; DJ dancing
FR: Guys get wild--9; DJ dancing
SA: Karaoke--9
TU: Open mic--9
WE: Coyote Ugly--8
LUCKEY'S CLUB CIGAR
933 OLIVE ST. 687-4643
TH: Bamiki--9:30; Reggae
FR: Solstice--9:30; Jazz, funk, rock
SA: The Perverts, the Wobblies--10; Jam rock
TU: Ken Ackerman's Jazz 'n' Beer Jam--9:30
WE: Ladies' Night w/Huckleberry--9:30
LUNA
30 E. BROADWAY 434-5862
FR: Erik Muiderman—5:30; Guitar, David Acker--8;
Guitar, 4-Word--12; Reggae
SA: Erik Muiderman—6; Guitar, JC
Rico--9:30; Blues, soul
MAC'S AT THE VET'S
1626 WILLAMETTE ST. 344-8600
TH: Christie & McCallum—7; Oldies, country
FR: Mo Fessor--9; New Orleans funk, boogie
SA: Hot for Chocolate, Shudders--9; '80s, New
wave
WE: Bourbon Renewal--9; Blues
 |
| THE
YARD DOGS ROAD SHOW PERFORMS WEDNESDAY AT SAM BOND'S GARAGE. |
MCDONALD THEATRE
1010 WILLAMETTE ST.
MO: Tower of Power--8; Funk, soul
OVERTIME TAVERN
770 S. BERTELSEN 342-5028
TH: West Side Blues Jam--8:30
PERUGINO
767 WILLAMETTE ST. 687-9102
WE: Irish Jam--7; Celtic
QUACKER'S
2105 W. 7TH 485-5925
MO: Karaoke--9; Variety
WE: Quacker's Blues Bash—8:30; Blues jam
RAMADA INN
225 COBURG 342-5181
FR: Johnny Law and the Rebels-9:15; Rock
SA: Johnny Law and the Rebels-9:15; Rock
SAM BOND'S GARAGE
407 BLAIR 431-6603
TH: The Andy Cohen Show w/Mark Ross--9; Folk,
blues
FR: Ala Nar, Midnight Sun Quintet--9:30; Middle
Eastern, bellydance
SA: Champagne Syndicate, Carsie Bean Blue--9:30;
Jazz, funk, rock
SU: Irish Jam--4, Stephanie Schneiderman, Christene
LeDoux, Dan Gildea--8:30; Americanna
MO: The Cornelius Boots--9; Jazz
TU: Bluegrass Jam--9
WE: Yard Dogs Road show--9; Variety review
SAMURAI DUCK
980 OAK ST. 345-6577
TH: YOB, -16-, Hope & Suicide--9:30; Doom
rock
 |
| MOOD
AREA 52 TREATS PATIO DINERS TO A MELLOW TANGO FIESTA EVERY SATURDAY
AT TACO LOCO RESTAURANT. |
TACO LOCO
900 W. 7TH AVE. 683-9171
SA: Mood Area 52 Trio--7; Tango
WE: Fuzz--7; Funk, jazz
TARASCO'S
100 E. BROADWAY
FR: Salsa w/DJ Mario Mora-9
TINY TAVERN
394 BLAIR BLVD. 687-8383
FR: The U-Gene Band--9; Folk, rock, soul
SA: The Great All Merge--10; Twisted
TU: Los Pistoleros--10; Latin polka
THE VOLCANO
535 MAIN ST., SPFD. 741-6001
TH: Blues Jam--9:15
FR: Rock--9:15
SA: Rock--9:15
SU: Karaoke--9:15
MO: Karaoke--9:15
TU: Rock--9:15
WE: Ozone Baby--9:15; Rock
WETLANDS
922 GARFIELD ST. 345-3606
SA: Grynch CD release w/Ailment, Grus, Stacked--10;
Rock, punk
WILD DUCK MUSIC HALL
169 W. 6TH 485-3825
TH: Tab Benoit--8:30; Blues
 |
| SLACK-KEY
MASTERS MARTIN PAHINUI, GEORGE KUO AND AARON MAHI PLAY THURSDAY
AT THE WOW HALL. |
WOW HALL ALL AGES
291 W. 8TH AVE. 687-2746
TH: George Kuo, Martin Pahinui, Aaron Mahi--8;
Hawaiian slack-key
FR: Boston Docks, Oister Boys, Monkee Torture,
The Secretions, The Lo-Cals--8; Punk
SA: Robert Earl Keen, Danny Barnes--9; Country
SU: Enemies of the State--8:30; Presentation by
former political prisoners, music by Azquita
YUKON JACK'S
4TH AND W. BRDWY., VENETA 935-1921
FR: Go 211--9; Rock
SA: Go 211--9; Rock
SU: Karaoke--6
CORVALLIS
BEANERY
2ND ST.
FR: Lew Jones--8
SA: Gina Machovina--8
BOMBS AWAY CAFE
200 NW. 53RD ST. 752-9011
WE: Acoustic blues jam--7:30
FOX 'N' FIRKIN'
202 SW. 1ST ST. 753-8533
TH: Orange--10
FR: Ego Machine--10
SA: Sacred Art Tattoo 8th Anniversary bash w/Courtesy
Clerks--10
SU: Blues Jam--6
Back to Top
|
