Asylum Street Spankers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 20, 2007

Asylum Street Spankers in 'What? And Give Up Show Biz?'

First Ever Musical Revue Confirmed For Exclusive Two Week NYC Run Starting January 9th

"My word, how can you put up with such demeaning conditions?" To which the carnival worker replied, "What—and give up show biz?"

The Asylum Street Spankers -- Austin favorites who have gained a massive and diverse fan base for their incomparable blend of old time string band virtuosity, vaudeville panache, and razor sharp wit -- juice their acclaimed live show with a double shot of theatricality in their first ever stage production, "What? And Give Up Show Biz?" in New York at the Barrow Street Theater in an exclusive two week run this January.

The show will draw on the acclaimed band's fourteen year history, both on-stage and off, with a one-of-a-kind and supremely entertaining take on what it's like to be a Spanker. 'What? And Give Up Show Biz?' seamlessly interweaves the Asylum Street Spankers' signature four part harmonies and consistently inventive arrangements -- not to mention their penchant for adult humor, frank discussions of sexuality, drug use and/or rock and roll -- into a sit down, laugh-out-loud and sing-a-long theater experience.

'What? And Give Up Show Biz?' includes Spanker favorites such as "Winning the War on Drugs," "Blue Prelude (from Hot Lunch)", "Why Do it Right?," and touches on classic quandaries such as what happens when the tour bus' brakes fail when barreling down a mountainside, how a stuffed monkey can almost end a band, what really happens before the show, what sadly happens after the show and why the corporate party from hell always pays so well.

The title, 'What? And Give Up Show Biz?,' is a reference to a classic vaudeville punch line about a man who has the dirtiest, most undesirable job at the circus cleaning up after animals. A friend, observing the menial nature of the work, offer to help the man find another job. The man replies, "what, and give up show biz?"

The Asylum Street Spankers began their musical journey 1994 when Christina Marrs and Guy Forsyth met Wammo at an impromptu all-night-sing-along at the Dabbs Hotel in Llano, TX. Upon returning to Austin, the trio called upon their musically like-minded friends to get together for club dates and in the trenches busking on the Guadalupe Street drag. Following success on the road and in the studio, the band founded their own Spanks-A-Lot Records in 1999 and continues to tour extensively throughout the world. 'What? And Give Up Show Biz?' is their Off-Broadway debut. The Washington Post cheers about a recent live show: "Plugged or unplugged, there was power aplenty onstage."

'What? And Give Up Show Biz?' performances:

Wednesday, January 9 (preview)
Thursday, January 10 (preview)
Saturday, January 12 (two shows)
Sunday, January 13
Monday, January 14
Wednesday, January 16
Thursday, January 17
Friday, January 18
Saturday, January 19
Sunday, January 20

For a updates on dates and showtimes visit: http://asylumstreetspankers.com

The Barrow Street Theatre, located in the heart of New York's west village, is a leading Off Broadway producer and presenter of new works for the stage. Recent productions include Gone Missing by the Civilians, No Child... by Nilaja Sun, TJ & Dave (late nights first weekend of every month), an oak tree by Tim Crouch and Red Light Winter by Adam Rapp.

For more information on the Asylum Street Spankers, please contact Nick
Baily (nbaily@shorefire.com) or Maggie Poulos (mpoulos@shorefire.com) at Shore Fire Media - 718.522.7171