Christina Marrs may know how to work five different instruments, but her real talent is working with people.

Her band, Asylum Street Spankers, has seen 40 people come and go over the decade it’s been together. Right now, the band has a total of eight instrumentalists, but that could change at any minute.

“”Touring is not for everyone,”” Marrs said. “”Most people quit because some other part in their life interferes. Their girlfriend wants them to be at home more oftenªª – that happens a lot. Other opportunities, or maybe they’re just burned out or can’t travel anymore.””

Touring is a hard life, especially when you’re doing it with seven other people, Marrs said. In a typical day, the group will spend 16 to 18 hours a day together. They split up into two different vans with four people each, and drive for four to eight hours.

“”It’s a series of moving your stuff from one place to another,”” Marrs said.

Every day, the band members have to move their belongings from the van into hotels and back again. Not to mention, all of their equipment has to go back and forth also.

“”The fun part is such a small portion of a typical work day,”” Marrs said.

Marrs said that even the simplest things can get overly complicated with eight different opinions.

“”The biggest hassle is just getting anything done in a timely manner,”” Marrs said. “”Even the act of deciding where to go for breakfast.””

Most of the time, the majority rules.

And this is just day-to-day matters. During every tour, Marrs said there are unseen mistakes, mishaps, and annoyances. On the second day of the last tour, Marrs accidentally knocked over and broke one of their guitars. Then, a couple of days later, they left some of their instruments in Nashville and had to drive for hours to get them back.

“”Every tour, something happens that’s a pain in the butt. It’s just life on the road. It’s the way it is,”” Marrs said.

The Asylum Street Spankers have certainly found a way to manage, because they’ve been touring and making records since 1994. Their folksy Texas punk rock has graced audiences all over the country. While studio work is very important to them, Marrs said that their legacy is in the live show.

“”(The live show) is what people talk about more than our records. We’re performers, we’re not a band that stands up there and stares at our shoes. I think that’s where we really shine is onstage,”” Marrs said.

The Asylum Street Spankers will be performing at Plush at 9 p.m., Wednesday. Tickets will be $10.

Questions:

CD – Picaresque – The Decemberists

Food – Homemade biscuits, scrambled eggs and bacon

Celebrity Dream Date – Johnny Depp

Clothing – Brown suede fake fur boots

Movie – No comment