Asylum Street Spankers

Biography

The Asylum Street Spankers formed in 1994 in Austin, Texas, initially by Christina Marrs, Wammo, and Guy Forsyth in Llano, Texas, emerging from the city's vibrant and diverse music scene that fostered their eclectic sound. Drawing from Wammo's background in Austin's rock and roll circles, the band quickly developed a rotating lineup averaging around 10 members of varying ages and tastes, blending unplugged vaudeville, blues, country, ragtime, old-timey swing, jazz, and dirty blues into a high-energy, acoustic style performed without amplification whenever possible.[1][2][4] Their music predated the retro-swing trend, with Wammo emphasizing they were not a swing band but skillful interpreters of Tin Pan Alley oldies, countrified jazz, and novelty tunes, often with humorous, irreverent themes like stoner anthems and jive blues.[1][3]

Over their career, the Spankers released numerous albums starting with 'Spanks For The Memories' in 1996 on Watermelon Records, followed by titles like 'Hot Lunch' (1999), 'Spanker Madness' (2000), 'My Favorite Record' (2002), and later works such as 'God's Favorite Band' (2009) and 'The Last Laugh' (2014), alongside bootlegs, DVDs, and side projects on their Spanks-A-Lot label. The fluid membership challenged touring logistics, leading to constant rotations—especially bass players who rarely lasted full tours—but this kept their live shows dynamic and converted skeptics into fans through rambunctious performances.[1][3] They also ventured into children's music with 'Mommy Says No!' (2004) and celebrated milestones like their 10th anniversary reunion concert.[3]

The band's legacy lies in their unyielding commitment to acoustic, mic-free shows even as popularity grew, influencing the preservation of pre-war Americana styles with a modern twist, while spawning solo projects from members like Wammo's rock-leaning albums. Active into the 2010s, they embodied Austin's eclectic spirit, prioritizing live energy over rigid categorization.[1][2][3]

Fun Facts

• The band jokingly claimed they 'met at an orgy' and 'reprogrammed' members with differing musical tastes at their compound, highlighting their humorous persona.[1]
• They repeatedly struggled to retain bass players, with none lasting more than a few tours due to heavy travel demands.[1]
• Despite rising popularity forcing larger venues with mics, they pledged to always offer special unamplified shows for hardcore fans.[1]
• Wammo killed (figuratively) anyone labeling them a swing band, as they formed before the retro-swing trend and rejected the comparison.[1]

Members

• Pops Bayless (from 1994 until 1999)
• Nevada Newman (from 2002 until 2011)
• Guy Forsyth
• Scott Marcus
• Christina Marrs
• PB Shane
• Sick
• Korey Simeone
• Stanley Smith
• Wammo
• Mysterious John
• Paul Schlichting

Musical Connections

Key Collaborators

• Christina Marrs - co-founder and core member (early formation and albums like Spanks For The Memories) [1994 onward]
• Wammo - co-founder, key songwriter and performer from Austin rock scene (all major albums, solo projects on Spanks-A-Lot) [1994 onward]
• Guy Forsyth - co-founder (initial band formation) [1994]

External Links

• Spotify
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #blues, #folk, #jazz