Since Southern Culture on the Skids (sometimes referred to as SCOTS) is widely known as a wacky, kitschy band, it seems apropos that Asheville’s own wacky, kitschy rock duo Mad Tea Party opened the SCOTS’ March 18 show at The Grey Eagle.

The Mad Tea Party—consisting of Jason Krekel and Ami Worthen—played a 15-song set that included some of the band’s classics and lots of new material as well.

The band’s signature old-time rock-and-roll and rockabilly sounds really kept the crowd pumped with such songs as “Every Way” and a little instrumental number called “Country Cookin’.” Ami played her ukulele on most songs and switched to guitar for a couple tunes. Jason, wearing a marching band-style hat (why not?), played guitar and drums simultaneously (the drums being played with his feet). The Asheville duo offered a raucous good time while preparing the crowd for the main act.

Many music fans remember Southern Culture on the Skids’ iconic 1995 album Dirt Track Date. That album gave the Chapel Hill-based band a national audience. For those of us in Asheville, the self-proclaimed bards of downward mobility tapped into Dirt Track Date for several songs including “Voodoo Cadillac,” “Soul City,” “Nitty Gritty,” “White Trash,” and of course “Camel Walk.”

During “Camel Walk,” Ami Worthen was back on stage dancing and tossing out some snacks, as is tradition with the band during that song. Fortunately for the crowd in attendance, the band did not toss fried chicken or banana pudding, which they have been known to do during other songs. A SCOTS show is not just about the music, it’s a happening. To pay homage to the band, several fans wore outfits looking like a mix from Hee Haw and The Dukes of Hazzard. Fans commonly dance on stage at a SCOTS show and the performance at The Grey Eagle was no exception.

The band rocked and partied as if it was still in its 1995 heyday. In fact, some may wonder what happened to SCOTS since those days. The answer is the band has continued making music and now has more than a dozen albums performed in what the band calls a hybrid of Americana, surf, R&B, rockabilly, and swamp pop. The most recent release is the 2010 CD The Kudzu Ranch.

SCOTS played a number of tunes from The Kudzu Ranch including “Bone Dry Dirt,” “Pig Pickin’,” “Highlife,” “Slinky Spring Milt,” “My Neighbor Burns Trash,” “Bad Boys,” “Busy Road,” and a surf instrumental they do of a song that includes parts of Nirvana’s “Come as You Are.”

The band—consisting of the longtime trio of Rick Miller (vocals, guitar), Dave Hartman (drums), and Mary Huff (bass) as well as current guitarist Tim Barnes—hit a few more of its classics including “Banana Puddin’,” “House of Bamboo,” and “Zombified” before ending the show with timeless Louvin Brothers song “Are You Ready for the Great Atomic Power.”

Their encore songs included the aforementioned “Soul City,” the instrumental slow dance “For Lover’s Only,” “Shotgun,” their cover of the T. Rex song “Life’s a Gas,” and finally “Love-a-Rama.” Mad Tea Party’s Jason Krekel was back on stage during the encore playing fiddle and helping to close out a fun-filled night of music and revelry.