Asylum Street Spankers: Show Preview

Tiffany Snyder-Hofeldt

Asylum Street Spankers

Details

Asylum Street Spankers perform Saturday, Jan. 22, at the Great American Music Hall. 8 p.m., $26 advance, $30 doors; www.gamh.com.

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More About

• Lucille Bogan
• Christina Marrs
• Austin
• SUVs and Crossovers
• Science and Technology

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It's sad, really, that the Asylum Street Spankers are calling it quits. For nearly 17 years, the Austin band with the revolving-door lineup has reveled in energetic crudeness. It's responsible for "The Scrotum Song" and the YouTube hit, "Stick Magnetic Ribbons on Your SUV," which is laced with dirty puns ("cunt" becomes "country," "asshole" becomes "a soldier I will be"). Dig deeper into the band's repertoire and you'll find a fiery cover of Lucille Bogan's "Shave 'Em Dry," which includes lines like "I got somethin' between my legs that'll make a dead man come." Even its initials spell ASS. But beneath that bawdy sensibility lies erudite musicianship. The Spankers draw on folk, gospel, jazz, blues, and other genres with long-aged roots. Christina Marrs, their greatest weapon, is a siren best at employing a booming holler that needs no amplification. In the Spankers' absence, who else will be able to pull off filth with so much charm and skill?