Austin Lounge Lizards frontman Hank Card splits his time with the band with another part-time job. Nothing to out of the ordinary, right? That is, until you find out that this Princeton graduate is a municipal judge.

“I’m the only member of the band who does that sort of thing,” Card explained. “I must just have more expensive tastes or something. Actually, it works out really well. When I’m home, I work up enough hours so that I can take some time off to go on the road.”

“Being a judge is kind of like being a performer,” he continued. “The differences make a really good balance. I wouldn’t be happy without some sort of creative outlet. The band is creatively satisfying, and I enjoy traveling and meeting new people all of the time.”

Card, a history major who went on to law school in Texas, first met co-Lounge Lizard, Conrad Deisler, in their days at Princeton. According to Card, the two began playing together on the weekends to get free beer and have a good time.

“It was never a plan to be in a band,” he said. “After a while, we decided that we could really do this. We put out our first album and have been at it now for 16 years.”

The Austin Lounge Lizards have since recorded four records in a 10-year span, including 1995’s Small Minds. The quintet includes Tom Pitman on banjo and steel guitar, Richard Bowden on mandolin and fiddle and Boo Resnick on bass.

“We are a folk/bluegrass blend,” Card said. “Actually, acoustic is probably a better word. When I hear folk, I think of some guy dressed in all black with a guitar in his hand, sitting on a stool somewhere. We are a lot more dynamic than that. Our show is pretty funny.”

With song titles like “Gingrich the Newt,” “Shallow End of the Gene Pool” and “Leonard Cohen’s Day Job,” it would be pretty hard not to be humorous. “Our arrangements are tight on stage,” Card added. “But we try to keep each other entertained with a lot of camaraderie. It’s just a really good feeling to see everyone having a good time.”

According to Card, the band’s typical crowd ranges from 20- to 40-year-old white-collar workers. Through extensive touring, the band has established outlets in Seattle and Santa Cruz.

“We used to play a lot of bars as back-up music, but we’ve moved away from that,” Card said. “Now, other than an occasional dance, our shows are all in a concert setting. We are trying to work into bigger and better venues and do more radio.”

The Austin Lounge Lizards have a variety of influences in their music, including the bluegrass legend Bill Monroe, the B-52’s and George Jones. “We’re more into the attitude in music,” Card added. “All of us are big Frank Zappa fans. We really enjoy that free-wheeling attitude.”

The Austin Lounge Lizards wheel their way to the Maintenance Shop tonight for a 9 p.m. performance. Tickets for the show are $8 and $6 for students.