Asylum Street Spankers
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1994 in Austin, Texas, United States |
| Founder | Christina Marrs, William David "Wammo" Walker, Guy Forsyth |
| Defunct | 2011 |
| Headquarters | Austin , United States |
| Products | Music albums, live performances |
Asylum Street Spankers was a roots rock and acoustic blues ensemble originating from Austin, Texas, recognized for their early interpretations of jazz standards alongside humorous and frequently provocative original compositions.
In 2006, their satirical antiwar clip titled "Stick Magnetic Ribbons on Your SUV" achieved over one million views on YouTube within just two months. The band earned the 10th Annual Independent Music Award in the Gospel category in January 2011 for their album God's Favorite Band. They concluded their career following a final tour in the spring of 2011.
Formation
The group was established in 1994 by Christina Marrs, William David "Wammo" Walker, and Guy Forsyth after a gathering in Texas. Initially, they performed as street musicians and played in local bars throughout Austin. Their early setlists featured country, blues, jazz, swing, and Tin Pan Alley tunes spanning from the 1890s to the 1950s, with particular emphasis on pieces from the 1920s and 1930s. Their style was characterized by a lively, irreverent approach that highlighted both musical skill and theatrical performance. Most members were skilled on multiple instruments and had acting backgrounds; until 2004, their shows were predominantly acoustic without electronic amplification.
The band's name is derived from Guadalupe Street in Austin—commonly called "Asylum Street" due to its closeness to a psychiatric facility—and the term "spanking," an old jazz expression referring to energetic playing.
Changes in lineup and recordings
Following Forsyth's exit in 1997, the Spankers gravitated more toward original compositions rooted in traditional styles. By 1999, only Marrs and Wammo remained from the founding members.
Reassembling the group, Marrs and Wammo embraced genre-blending experimentation, complex arrangements, vocal harmonies, and witty songs featuring social critique. That same year, they established Spanks-a-Lot Records to distribute their work.
Their 2006 video "Stick Magnetic Ribbons on Your SUV," directed by Morgan Higby Night, amassed over one million views on YouTube.
In January 2008, they debuted their off-Broadway production What? And Give Up Show Biz? at the Barrow Street Theatre. Later, in January 2011, they secured the Independent Music Award for Gospel with God's Favorite Band.
Dissolution and final tour
After announcing their breakup in 2010, the remaining members embarked on a farewell tour lasting nine months across 50 cities called "Spanks for the Memories! The Farewell Tour." With Marrs as the sole founding member still involved, the touring lineup included Newman and returning member Charlie King. The farewell culminated with several shows in Austin between April 20 and April 23, 2011.
In March 2011, supporters contributed more than $20,000 to produce a DVD retrospective and documentary centered on these concluding Austin performances.
In April 2014, The Last Laugh, an album comprising previously unreleased live recordings from their final concerts, was released. This collection won the "Live Performance Album" title at The 14th Annual Independent Music Awards in 2015.
Musical Style
Spanker Madness features country blues tracks that both celebrate marijuana use and offer criticism of drug prohibition policies while acknowledging some negative effects of recreational drugs. The album Mercurial was recorded employing recording techniques from the 1940s. Their song My Favorite Record conveys their deep enthusiasm for music. Inspired by children's authors Shel Silverstein and Maurice Sendak, Mommy Says No! explores themes related to childhood.
Their catalog includes covers of diverse artists such as Prince, Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, Beastie Boys, The B-52's, Black Flag, Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, Harry Nilsson, The Violent Femmes, George Jones, Nirvana, Nina Simone, Nine Inch Nails, Oingo Boingo, Otis Redding, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, and Johnny Cash.
Members during final 2011 tour
- Christina Marrs
- Charlie King
- Nevada Newman
- Mark Henne
- Morgan Patrick Thompson
- Shawn Dean (The Unknown Wrestler)
- Trevor Smith
- Thrad Lee
Past members
- "Colonel" Josh Arnson
- Greg "Pops" Bayless
- Dave "Leroy" Biller
- Adam "Tiny" Booker
- Jakob Breitbach
- Garreth Broesche
- Cade Callahan
- Justin "Sick" Carr
- Jimmie Dean
- "Mysterious" John Dodson
- Jonathan Doyle
- Jake Erwin
- Guy Forsyth
- Olivier Giraud
- Reese Gray
- Westen Borghesi
- Mike Henry
- Josh Hoag
- Billy Horton
- Scott Marcus
- Brent Martens
- Eamon McLaughlin
- Django Porter
- Charlie Rose
- "Salty" John Salmon
- Paul Schlichting
- PB Shane
- Korey Simeone
- Kevin Smith
- Stanley Smith
- John Thomasson
- William David "Wammo" Walker
- Matt Weiner
- Jeffrey Ross
Studio and live albums
- Live (1995, no longer available)
- Spanks for the Memories (1996)
- Nasty Novelties (EP, 1997)
- Hot Lunch (1999)
- Spanker Madness (2001)
- A Christmas Spanking (2001)
- Dirty Ditties (EP, 2002)
- Single: "Stinkin" b/w "Goodbye Cousin Early" (2002)
- My Favorite Record (2002)
- Strawberry (Live) (2003, recorded in 1998)
- Mercurial (2004)
- Pussycat (2005)
- Mommy Says No! (2007)
- What? And Give Up Show Biz? (two-disc live collection, 2008)
- God's Favorite Band (2009)
- The Last Laugh (2014)
- Solo projects by band members
- Why Do it Right? by Nevada Newman
- Lowriders On the Storm by Wammo
- In the Land of Dreams by Stanley Smith
- Fat Headed Stranger by Wammo
- Faster Than the Speed of Suck by Wammo
Video releases
- Sideshow Fez (DVD)
- Re-Assembly (2005) (DVD)
- Stick Magnetic Ribbons on Your SUV
See also
External links
- Collection of Asylum Street Spankers performances at the Internet Archive live music repository
- Interview: "The Asylum Street Spankers, Sounding Off" on NPR's All Things Considered, July 31, 2005 (audio, 8:40 minutes)
- Interview: "The Asylum Street Spankers: Going Gospel" on NPR's studio 4A, February 7, 2010 (audio, 12:08 minutes)