Localized: Lab Animals

Dust off the garage-find Fender, crank up the volume to 100 and brace for impact! This month’s edition of SLUG Localized is going to rock the Wasatch Front, in the most biblical of proportions. Start off the night with brass-knuckled, left paw from punk band Odd Equals. Then, get shocked back to life with the experimental duo of Lab Animals. Last (but certainly not the least), tear down the walls with a hefty dose of goth rock and DIY sound, courtesy of VAL/IN/TIME. Grab your tickets and head over to Kilby Court on Thursday, August 20 at 7 p.m. for a night so sensational, you’re going to need a blast shield.

I’m spending my Tuesday evening conducting a video interview with a couple dudes in rat masks. I’d like to say this is just another day, but this is definitely a first.

Lab Animals are a dance punk duo out of Salt Lake City, and they are here to commit to the bit: “We just want someone to walk away and, whether they’re like, ‘What in the world was that?’ or… they at least remember it, you know?” explains Josh (first names only — last names in the group are a poorly guarded secret), who plays guitar and bass in the duo. His musical other half is Devin, who produces beats and provides vocals. The two met in middle school and have been making music together for nearly a decade.

The group’s music has a wide breadth of influences, ranging from other bands in the dance punk genre such as The Faint to metal acts like Lamb of God and Death. They credit The White Stripes, however, for their own flair for the dramatic. “I think that was one of the things that we really liked. They’re just like very, uh—” Devin says. “Intentional,” Josh finishes.

The pair are also movie buffs, with an appreciation for horror characters such as Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees, as well as the shock rockers of the past like Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie.

“Sometimes to get people to hear what you’re talking about, you kind of have to go out and dress like clowns.”

Donning incredibly creepy, homemade rat masks and lab coats, Lab Animals are indeed intentional with every detail of their live performance. Devin sets up his rig behind a podium, as if he is a professor giving a lecture, with Josh at his side to “assist” with the demonstration while playing another homemade prop — a yellow guitar complete with Swiss cheese holes. Other visuals include various maze diagrams, a light shaped like a helix and an occasional slide show. The content of their music is subliminally political, amplified by their act: “Part of the lecture series is kind of like… to call out the lack of trust in science these days and misinformation… Sometimes to get people to hear what you’re talking about, you kind of have to go out and dress like clowns,” Devin says.

Ultimately, the band wants to cultivate a scene around them that feels inclusive and is entertaining for all involved. Their song, “Boyfriend,” is meant to challenge heteronormative stereotypes. The two want to clarify, however, that they don’t want to be confused for furries, but certainly “furries are welcome to the live show,” Josh notes.

I ask if they could create their audience in a lab, what would that look like? “I definitely want to see everyone… I think people will relate to some of those things that make it a little bit more unique,” Devin answers. “Yeah, it’s like the normal things that should be normal,” Josh adds.

“I get to make music with one of my best friends, and if nothing comes from it, it doesn’t really matter to me. I’m doing what I like already.”

What’s next for all of this? “First and foremost, we just love making music. I know that’s kind of what a lot of people say, but that’s it. It’s all about making the music,” Josh replies. In my opinion, two childhood best friends having the time of their life making beats in rat costumes should be the textbook example of what the American Dream is all about.

Devin is on the same page. “I get to make music with one of my best friends, and if nothing comes from it, it doesn’t really matter to me. I’m doing what I like already.”

Building on the momentum of several singles released over the past year, Lab Animals are currently working to complete and release their next album. You can catch them live along with VAL/IN/TIME on August 20 for SLUG Localized.

Read past SLUG Localized features:
Localized: Leetham
Localized: Runestomper

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