Current Theatre Listings Past Theatre Listings

Information for Asylum Street Spankers
Category: Concert
Promoter: The Neighborhood Theatre
Description: The Asylum Street Spankers are named for a street in Austin, Texas, that once led to the State Asylum. They've been called a postmodern jug band and "Hee-Haw for hipsters," among other things. They use fiddles, resonator guitars and even a saw, one of five instruments key contributor Christina Marrs has taught herself. Their music is drawn mostly from the early 20th century, yet many of the lyrics aren't suitable for radio -- they're a bit too naughty.

Founded over ten years ago at the Dabbs hotel along the river in Llano, Texas, the Asylum Street Spankers stand as one of the America's most distinctive groups. Defiantly acoustic, fiercely independent and absurdly good, the Spankers have been led by founders Christina Marrs and Wammo from being a country-blues revival act playing happy hours in Austin, through nearly 40 musicians, endless touring and constant evolution to being an internationally renowned underground institution. Fueled by an ethos born of their punk roots, Marrs and Wammo have built their lives around making unique music that surprises and entertains. Both new releases, Mercurial and Sideshow Fez, prove that their shared vision of the Asylum Street Spankers - smart, challenging music, sly, sophisticated showmanship and determined inventiveness - succeeds on every count.

Now You See Them opens
Featured Artists
Asylum Street Spankers   A "Spanker" is one who plays an acoustic instrument with skill and vigor, an old jazz-era term..."Spank that guitar!" etc... The Asylum Street Spankers are masters of dozens of instruments, adept arrangers and songwriters. They also are brilliant and clever interpreters of music from the Golden Age of Americana, spiced up with seemingly incongruous but actually right-on influences from their own era. All performed with a ripping sense of humor that creates unbridled fun and merriment for audiences everywhere.
Now You See Them   Now You See Them is a three piece acoustic folk, indie band all originally from western Pennsylvania. It wasnt until the three of them were living in New York City that they met each other. Time passed and fate intervened and they decided to travel the world together. They each saved $1,000 and headed off to Hawaii. There, they worked hard in restaurants and coffee shops and were able get their bank accounts back up to a thousand dollars. They moved to Sydney, Australia. Again, picking up odd jobs to save travel money, they decided to put a positive use to their individual music talentsNow You See Them was born! They played bars and clubs all around Sydney until, one at a time, immigration discovered them playing music and making money without the proper papers. They were all deported. The next stop for them was Asheville, NC. Throughout their travels, strangers were approaching them saying that their sound belonged in Asheville. The strangers were right! With a stronger commitment to the band, and a newfound faith that this is exactly what they are supposed to be doing theyve been playing their music just about anywhere to anyone who will listen. Often described as a breath-of-fresh-air, NYST conveys an upbeat and beautiful soundlive, they supply an endless amount of fun and energy that transfers to everyone arounddiving further into their music reveals slow burning lyrics that take shape, evolve, and become more personal with every listen. Sporting unique instrumentation while delivering beautiful harmonies, theyve quickly turned their fan base from a few errant bar stragglers to perpetually packed houses. Constantly writing new songs while arranging creative covers, NYST is trying desperately to be part of the wave of coming change in culture and music. Most likely due to their blue-collar backgrounds, the band members have a firm grasp on the struggles and victories of the middle class, and much like traditional American folk and oldies, the root of NYSTs music is in spiritual growth through life experience while appealing to the everymans constant search for quality of life.

Event Listings
Click Here to Return to Home Page