Concert Reviews: December 1992

Outspoken

Mouthbreather

Mayberry

October – Club Starrz

Sex, drugs and rock & roll began the evening. Mouthbreather wasn’t exactly what you would call the right kind of band for the night, but, definitely the high point.

What you need to do is drink a sixer of PBR, stumble in the door and come do the Hokey Pokey with me and the Mouthbreather. They are forging the future of beastiality. Eli is a real goat-fucker and I love you Amber.

Mayberry, I didn’t like too much. I guess they were good if you like boys with curly hair. But, putting everything aside they sound like a Stench rip-off band. Hint: Do a Black Sabbath and I will like you a lot better.

Come on kids, Outspoken has nothing going for them except playing 90 miles an hour. I like some aspects of straight edge, but having preachy kids shove X’s down my pants is not one of them. I left. “You can’t imprison my, you can’t imprison my mind.”

The Putters

Amphouse Mother

Smell

November 5 – Bar & Grill

Amphouse Mother is the kind of band that I would marry if I were a girl. I’d even take them home to meet the parents. They’re dirty, bluesy, lovesick sound is just a damn good listen.

I finally had the opportunity to check out Smell. They are fairly new in Salt Lake and they are really good. Punk rock to the highest degree of punkness.

I know, I’ve heard it all before: if the Seattle scene had any balls at all it would be in San Francisco. So what, The Putters put on one great fuckin’ show. Even though their balls are a little bit peach fuzzy, surely they will mature into a great band like many others from their hometown of Seattle.

Flaming Lips

Mouthbreather

November 8 – Bar & Grill

Heaven. Volume so loud you could feel the music in your bones, the only way that Mouthbreather should be listened to. Mouthbreather is by far my favorite local band and seeing them with The Lips was a total bonus. Thank God that the Bar & Grill will do the kind of shows that are much better when you’re fucked up. Eli of Mouthbreather could either write great slasher novels or incredible pornos and somewhere between are the lyrics for Mouthbreather. It is like listening to The Beatles raised in fucked-up homes try to get back at their parents.

This was The Flaming Lips third visit to Salt Lake and not a minute too soon. They are on the road with Throwing Muses and they got off track long enough to spend a Sabbath day in Salt Lake. Jesus, what a revolting thought. This was one loud motherfucker of a show but the ear damage was worth every drum-splitting minute. They haven’t changed a bit, they just have a big label paying the bills behind them now. Buy the album, turn it up loud and kiss my ass if you don’t like it.

Doghouse

Amphouse Mothers

November 13 – Spanky’s

I haven’t seen Doghouse play for several months. The last time I thought they were one of the most talented, virtually unknown bands in Salt Lake. They are still virtually unknown and now without a doubt, one of the most talented bands in the city.

Opening with a song from their self-titled tape and with a total of five people present, they were cold. As the size of the audience increased, warming the hall, Doghouse also warmed up. Guitarist, Dennis Maw, or Neck Man as the audience and vocalist/bassist Brenda Lazarus referred to him, had his movement restricted by the neckbrace he wore (following an automobile accident about a month ago). The brace didn’t restrict his fingers from flying across the strings of his guitar.

Maw lays down some of the sweetest surf guitar ever heard east of the Pacific Ocean. The surprising thing is that he claims to have never listened to any surf music. Surf guitar is only one small phase of his style. He combines surf, jazz, psychedelic and straight rock guitar in his lead duties.

The other lead instrument in Doghouse is Brenda Lazarus’ voice. Just as the early Jefferson Airplane reached fame on the power of Grace Slick’s voice, Lazarus carries the show with her arrestingly-similar vocal chords. She also lays down a tremendous groove with her talent on the bass. The third member of Doghouse is drummer Jeff Lazerus. A rock-solid skinsman, he keeps the time and flails away behind his kit with such power you wonder where he gets his energy.

Doghouse defies categorization. Without any cover songs, their show carries you to the beaches of “Endless Summer,” to a psychedelic view of Woodstock’s mussy fields and back to the bleak present and uncertain future of the ‘90’s.

Next up was Amphouse Mothers. From the moment they appear on stage there is no question about their style. They are a grunge band and they look the part. Opening with a tight cover of Nirvana’s “Aneurysm,” they make no apologies for the style. They demonstrated to me that there is life in grunge yet. Amphouse Mothers, like Doghouse, are a three piece. Bassist Mark Ross and drummer, Doug Petterson amply back Bill Frost’s showy guitar style.

The band was fueled by more than a little liquid fire in their veins which only served to increase their entertainment value. They did a grunge version of the theme song from “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” and they also started to cover the horrid “How Do You Talk To An Angel,” thank God only using it as a launching pad for one of their originals.

The highlight came after they took a short break for additional refreshment. Guitarist Frost played slide guitar with an empty beer glass, it was the first time I’ve seen it done and he wailed. Some audience members offered him full glasses, but he declined that demonstration.

Finally Frost strapped on a white Flying V and to climax the show he smashed it into the stage. With pieces flying everywhere it was a fitting end to a highly entertaining two-band night at the Cinema Bar.  I’m convinced that Salt Lake City has a growing talent pool of good bands, so get off your fat ass and go see some of them play live.

Shudder To Think

Iceburn

Lumberjack

November 17-Club Starrz

Lumberjack is a great name. And they totally kick ass. They have a hard and heavy sound with clear melodic hardcore vocals. You should really check them out sometime.

Iceburn, Shmiceburn. Blah… Blah…. Blah.

I didn’t see Shudder to Think but I would guess by the size of the crowd that they must have been good. I opted for Stompbox.

Stompbox

Prodigal of Smiles

November 17 – Bar & Grill

Salt Lake’s finest band ever (just kidding)—Prodigal of Smiles puts on one entertaining show. They go through all the necessary motions…jumping around, screaming profusely and banging on things. Way to go.

Stompbox from Boston, MA would have to be compared to White Zombie or Bullet Lavolta. They are thrashy hardcore with a dose of Flavor-Flav humor to keep things light since their music is real heavy. For what it’s worth, if they ever come back you should check them out.

Check out more from the SLUG Archives: 
Concert Reviews: September 1992 
Concert Reviews: October 1992