Spankers Rock Hipster Hee-Haw at Berkeley (Show Update)

Imagine this.  Snoop Dogg driving a 1945 Ford pick-up truck through a tobacco field, hanging out the window and singing a children’s nursery rhyme.  Now add some vaudeville twang and satirical lyrics that parallel the war on drugs, dysfunctional relationships and circus freak shows.  Mix it all up with some clips of your favorite Charlie Chaplin film and you have Austin’s Asylum Street Spankers.  Straight off of their 10 day (way) Off Broadway show Asylum Street Spankers:  What? And Give Up Show Biz, The Spankers will bring their irreverent humor and music to the newly revamped Berkeley Cafe on Tuesday Night.

Be prepared to sit down to watch The Spankers.  Seats will be provided and arranged in rows, a simulation of an intimate theater show, although Berkeley does lack a proscenium arch.  Wammo (Heineken in hand) and Christina Marrs, who manage the vocal narration of the show, will also enforce silence.  Consider this your warning, their toleration level is low.  In true vaudeville fashion they do not amplify their instruments, and each are wearing small wireless mics which project their voices but not so much the instruments.  Luckily, Berkeley has their bar in a separate room and voices won’t travel as easily as they do in most venues where the stage and bar share a small space.  Don’t let this stop you from traveling to Nash Square, sitting quietly in your seat, and enjoying songs with titles such as Children of the Corn Nuts, Hick Hop, If You Love Me (You’ll Sleep on the Wet Spot), and Wake and Bake.  You’ll laugh, sing along, and find yourself wondering why you’ve never seen this Spanker Madness.

Berkeley used to be known for the famous jazz shows that it brought through Raleigh.  It then transitioned to various genres including punk and most recently has hosted various electronic music events, including the weekly Drum and Bass dance night, Switch.  Switch usually fills Tuesday night on the Berkeley calendar, from 10pm-2am.  Considering the Spankers show starts at 8pm, it could be possible that there will be a meeting of the two crowds around the 10 o’clock hour (

  Switch is still a go at 10:30pm).  Raleigh needs this overlap and increase in shows.  Berkeley, please help rise the Raleigh music scene from the ashes.  We have been smoldering too long.

“Don’t forget to shake your booty while you’re dancing to the two step.  Come on and gimme three steps. Hey, play some Skynard man!“

Tickets are $15 Day of Show and is sponsored by Marianne Taylor Music who is booking lots of the new shows at Berkeley Cafe and is a great new addition to the downtown music scene.

UPDATE FROM THE SHOW:

From the opening comments of making sure that everyone in the packed Berkeley Cafe turn their cell phones off, to the last words of the night “Beer, Beer, Beer, Beer, We Love Beer”, Asylum Street Spankers ushered in the new lineup of shows at the venue in style.  Songs ranged from My Baby’s in the CIA, Breath, My Favorite Record (with a Zeppelin interlude), Antifreeze, What’s in my LunchBOX (emphasis on the box), “Leaf Blower, Leaf Blower, Good Thing I Don’t Have a Gun!“  A couple of the Spankers were under the weather, but whiskey took care of the cold pretty quick.  Wammo and Christina passed the lead vocal back and forth throughout the evening.  A harmonica duel between Wammo and Charlie King was the highlight of the evening.  As well as Christina’s saw playing, which was as gorgeous as ever.  The Spankers are a not to be missed live band.  Marianne Taylor Music seems to have a good relationship with them, which means they’ll be back in the near future.  As mentioned, the venue was packed with all types.  Some on the floor, some standing, some sitting at table, but all singing choruses such as “Now put your hands on the roof, We’re Winning the War on Drugs.“  Berkeley looks to be one the guiding forces in the 2008 Raleigh live music scene.  Below is video from the show.