Asylum Street Spankers

Imagine a whimsical collision course between ragtime, two-step parlor dances, jazz, vaudeville, off-color blues, hip-hop swagger, country AND western - and you get the kaleidoscopic musical universe of the Asylum Street Spankers.
One of the single best live bands you'll ever see (a model of dynamics
and sheer musicality), they're as likely to play music in the orbit of
the Hokum Boys and Ida Cox as that of the Beasties and Black Flag or
sharp-right turn originals on any given night. Risqué repartee, humor
and seamless gear-shifting between styles are just part of their deep
charm. Their take on what Greil Marcus called the music of, "old, weird
America," is as honest as it is entertaining.

"Two years ago, the Asylum Street Spankers held a celebration in their
hometown of Austin, Texas, to honor the band's 10-year anniversary. The
concert featured 21 current and former Spankers and more instruments
than you're likely to encounter outside of a symphony orchestra hall.
The incarnation of the band that will be playing at the Cedar Cultural
Center will likely be limited to a more manageable seven members, but
the show will still undoubtedly be a sprawling combination of improv
comedy and old-time string music. Think Hee Haw meets
Garrison Keillor. Expect songs about UFOs, marijuana (they recorded an
entire album extolling the glories of it), and the JFK assassination.
Washboard king Wammo also does a hilarious rockabilly version of the
Beastie Boys classic "Paul Revere." But the best reason to the see the
Spankers is the divine Christina Marrs. Channeling Betty Boop and
Billie Holiday, she fearlessly reinvents classics from "Sugar in My
Bowl" to "Darling Nikki" with extraordinary wit and verve. " (Paul Demko, City Pages A-list pick 11/22/06)

“The Spankers had the crowd howling, shaking their heads in amazement, reluctantly drifting out the door after the best show of the year” (Jeff Spevak, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)

“You never knew what to expect—what style it would be or what instruments they’d use or who would be singing—the only thing you knew after hearing the first few numbers is that what was coming would make you smile. These folks could play.” (Jim Knipfel, The New York Press)

To buy tickets

Call Cedar ticket line 612-338-2674 ext 2

Visit Cedar ticket outlets.

Online sales available at Ticketweb

Asylum Street Spankers

The Asylum Street Spankers, formed in Austin, Texas in 1994, is an American old-timey, swing, jazz, and dirty-blues band. Their tone is often raucous and irreverent. For many years, they performed their show acoustically, without any type of amplification at...