Last night I went to the Spanker’s very last show in Charlottesville, Va. The Spankers are a band renowned for their music and especially for their renditions of songs which are obscene to some degree. Musically, they’re adept at rendering all sorts of genres, although vaguely dirty old-timey music has definitely been a specialty.
Although most of the members of the band are in the limelight for a song or two each night, Whammo and Christina had been the lead singers and players form most of the pieces. Christina had taken a long maternity leave from the band, which toured with Whammo last year. I saw them play in Charlottesville at that time, and they were great. Whammo is quite a presence, so the gig was big fun, but the naughty 40’s and 50’s girl songs were missing without Christina. She can channel a number of Betty Boop voices and other more scorching fems.
Last night Whammo was missing, but Christina, and the rest of the crew, who also do their own songs (each of them could hold a show on their own) did their last concert in Charlottesville.
I will miss this. The Spanker experience is a unique and sublimely entertaining. It is also wickedly funny. I surely hope all, or part of them, will reconsider.
Their website does have a DVD or two of live shows. Well, exactly two. It may be the only way to experience them now. Both “Sideshow Fez” and “Re-Assembly” are memorable.
For photographs of an older concert:
http://www.deasy.com/spankers/
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