Guy Forsyth Presents: Hot Nut Spankers

Guy Forsyth is bringing together two of his former bands for one night at The 04 Center on Saturday, September 5. He's calling the show Hot Nut Spankers, and the name tells you exactly what's happening: it's a crossover of the Asylum Street Spankers and the Hot Nut Riveters.

To get why that matters, you have to go back to the mid-90s. The Asylum Street Spankers were an Austin crew built around a raw love of unamplified vintage acoustic blues, hot jazz, and ragtime. When they went their separate ways, Forsyth kept that acoustic string-band fire going with the Hot Nut Riveters. He did branch out in the years between—playing with The Revelators and 78 Special—but the Riveters remained his primary recording home. This night brings those two eras together, with Spankers coming in from across the country to join the Riveter chops.

Forsyth will be on vocals, harmonica, and strings, leading a lineup that includes Jimmie Dean on drums, Wammo on washboard and harmonica, Nevada on guitar and accordion, Matt Smith on guitar, mandolin, and dobro, and Kristopher Wade on bass. Pops Bayless and The Mysterious John are on as special guests. Between the washboard, the dobro, and the accordion, it's a full acoustic string band on stage.

The show is billed as a historic gathering of the good, the bad, the ugly, the old, and the new, with acoustic mastery, roots swing, and comedy on the bill. The 04 Center rounds it out with a full bar, free on-site parking, and an all-ages policy. It runs from 8 PM to 10:30 PM, with doors opening at 7 PM.