Concerts: March 1993

Stoneface and The Decomposers @ Spanky’s Pool, Saturday February 6, 1993

Whether due to lack of publicity, or this being an over 21 venue, or something else, the evening turned out to be rather intimate evening between Stoneface, The Decomposers and some of their friends. This is the first time either of these bands have played here, and while that didn’t seem to affect Stoneface much who characteristically bludgeoned their way through all their standards, The Decomposers seemed to have a little more difficulty warming up.

Stoneface opened with that one song that sounded like that other one, but goes down instead of up, you know? They stayed with that pattern through the next few numbers, reaching a sort of faux climax every now and then. But the heat was up for “12 of November,” and the crowd was getting down to the familiar groove and wailing, yet heartfelt vocals of J.J., lead singer and foremost personality of the band. Easily one of the best tracks on the Salt Flat CD recently released—I predict even now its cyclic rhythms and vocal counterpoint reverberate on the dim recesses of my mind. “Stay, stay” his cries echo off the tin foil stars and moons festooning the ceiling of Spanky’s. Pray to pan that rumors of a breakup are only that. Stoneface’s demise would leave a major hole in the fabric of serious local hardcore. These guys have cut their hair some, but their sound has changed little staying true to the roots of rock and to the hills that spawn them.

I saw The Decomposers in Logan at the Jaycees lodge back in December with Mouthbreather, and though I missed part of the show in the bathroom after my date puked down my new pink spandex top, they didn’t sound that great. Aaron‘s vocals were so mixed down that even when veins popped out of his neck you could hardly pick up the vocal over the guitars. This night they got off to a slow start, but ended up squeezing out a pretty good show for a new (to them) side of the hometown. These guys have been around a while but whether it’s an audience of ten or many hundreds The Decomposers always put out hard. They labored through five songs with spirits visibly lacking before calling a beer break. 

They then came back on in full-costumed regalia, Aaron sporting floor-length floral patterned housecoat looking not unlike my mother or Zippy the Pinhead (take your pick). The rest of the band sporting various hoods, plush viking horns and other festive head gear. They proceeded to grind out a few more songs Aaron only occasion ally facing the audience, before they fell to another break. But when they came back for their third set after a sporting of sarcastic raw up from some caustic employes of Spanky’s, they proceeded to kick some fucking ass and show the “intimate,” yet much larger than usual Spanky’s crowd, how they do it in Utah. So fuck all y’all anyway, they finished out theirs refreshingly with a few old numbers we hadn’t heard in a while. These guys have had a rough year (who hasn’t?), but they are still rocking hard, and I’d say these five hellions are going to take it all the way. Bottoms up, guys.

Check out more from the SLUG Archives:
Stoneface: February 1993
Concert Reviews: January 1993