By David Steinberg /
Journal Staff Writer
The Asylum Street Spankers have one of the wackiest names and play some of the most eclectic music in the entertainment world.
Tunes range from pop songs of the 1920s to bluegrass and blues, all presented in a chatty vaudeville style.
Maybe its songbook and its funny onstage banter are reasons why the Austin-based band has become so successful over the last 17 years. A measure of that success is the Spankers' first-ever musical revue — a two-week run in an off-off-Broadway theater in New York City last January.
The revue titled “What? And Give Up Show Biz?” packed the house and drew raves from the media.
“The Austin collective tapdances on the thin line between stunning virtuosity and goofy farce ...” the Village Voice wrote.
“We attracted new fans and made some new friends, too,” said Wammo, the band member who sings and plays harmonica, kazoo and washboard.
Wammo took credit for coming up with the idea for the revue.
Spankers manager John Riedie, who organized the production, said the band was so pleased with the response to the revue that it is thinking about taking it on the road.
If that happens, the revue won't be booked until next year or the year after because, Riedie said, theaters plan farther in advance than clubs do.
“I think we want to take it to our strongholds — Seattle, San Francisco, Houston, Chicago and other cities,” he said.
The revue, Riedie said, is easier for the band to present than a club act. The revue is 90 minutes long, includes a script and maintains the same song list every night.
By comparison, the Spankers' club act is two 60-minute sets plus an encore. And it changes nightly.
The Asylum Street Spankers will be in concert at The Cooperage in Albuquerque. The band also will play at the College of Santa Fe in Santa Fe and in Los Alamos.
Wammo said he had as much fun onstate as offstage during the revue's run.
“I got to hang out and party in New York for two weeks. I've been there many, many times, and it's a great town,” he said.
Riedie said the Spankers aren't ruling out reviving the revue in the Big Apple.
After all, he said, 4,000 people came to the show and there are 8 million people living there.
Asylum Street Spankers
WHEN and WHERE: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 8, at The Cooperage, 7220 Lomas NE. Noon-6 p.m. May 10 at the College of Santa Fe, St. Michael's Drive, Santa Fe, and 7 p.m. May 11 at Ashley Pond, Los Alamos
HOW MUCH: Tickets for the Albuquerque show are $20 in advance at Bookworks, Natural Sound and online at www.abqmusic.com. $25 at the door. Tickets for the Santa Fe show are $15 in advance by calling (505) 473-6511 or $20 at the door.The Los Alamos concert is free and open to the public
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