By Seth Sommerfeld
„I believe that to have a friend, a man must be one. That all men are created equal and that everyone has within himself the power to make this a better world.“
Thus begins „The Lone Ranger Creed.“ That old Western yarn might seem like a far cry from the brash world of hardcore punk music, but, partner, you’d be incorrect with that foolish assumption.
A room full of hardcore punk kids can feel intimidating for scene outsiders, what with their resting snarl faces and willingness to violently slam into their best friends. But anytime a certain guitar-wielding masked cowboy in assless chaps — looking like The Lone Deranger — takes a Spokane stage with his trusty dress-wearing percussive companion by his side, an inclusive hardcore hootenanny is fixin‘ to go down. The two varmints in question are Micah Clay Lübben and Wes Marvin, who together unleash a barrage of wonderful heavy noise as the two-man hardcore sludge posse known as Spøøky.
The duo’s unique visual style and relentless energy help them stand out in Spokane’s thriving hardcore music scene, bringing a dose of mirth to a sometimes too-serious genre, thereby allowing everyone to lower their guard a bit and have an absolute blast while still thrashing about with riotous aplomb.
Like most hardcore bands, the members of Spøøky first met at a viral BBQ cookout. (Do not fact check that last sentence.) Lübben and Marvin were both pals with the Spokanites who humorously posted on Craigslist searching for a „Generic Father Figure for Backyard BBQ“ back in 2017. After the listing went viral (garnering national headlines and major sponsors), both of the future bandmates were invited, happened to meet there, and immediately hit it off.
Less than two weeks later, Lübben recruited Marvin to drum in an „art project“ called Spøøky (the stylized Øs being necessary because too many bands are called Spooky),
where the two would try to record some weird surf punk songs in a single take. And while the project was meant to be a one-off, the guys soon got invited to play a Halloween show where they met and connected with members of local bands Bad Motivator, Indian Goat and Itchy Kitty.
After a few shows, the dudes put Spøøky to bed. Instead, they focused on a new hardcore band they’d started called Thrpii („therapy“), which was on the rise until COVID shut things down and their other bandmates moved away. But when the musical world started reopening after lockdowns, the pair had a heavy music craving that needed to be satiated.
„We were itching to play some music and we’re like, ‚F—, let’s bring Spøøky back,'“ Marvin says.
The resulting much more brutal weirdo hardcore sound — inspired by bands like The Chariot and Norma Jean — can be heard on Spøøky’s 2024 three-song Dëmø. Lübben also came up with a great genre name for the band’s new sludgy sound — Scablands hardcore. It’s an evocative nod to Spokane’s geographic region (the Channeled Scablands created by the Missoula floods) and the band’s „brokedown home on the range country vibe.“
SPØØKY
Instagram: @thespookyband
Next shows: May 26 at Mikey’s Gyros (Moscow), June 20 at The Big Dipper
Spøøky’s now-distinct fashion sense is relatively new and wasn’t intentional at first. The guys have dressed in costume since their first show (it was Halloween after all), but used to mix things up every show. That was until one gig where Lübben donned some chaps and Western garb. When he didn’t wear it again for a subsequent show, his buddies in the scene expressed disappointment because they loved the look. As for Marvin, his look began as a „Wes in a dress“ bit between him and local MCs Jang the Goon and IAMTOPP. And while the guys weren’t exactly stoked to be pigeonholed into dressing a certain way to perform, they soon saw that it had value.
„It became more intentional at a point. Because the music’s so heavy, we typically play with a lot of, like, beatdown bro-y hardcore bands,“ Marvin says. „So we’re like, ‚Oh, this is kind of our opportunity to not be that, and not take ourselves too seriously.'“
„We want to create an environment that makes people feel safe, feel comfortable, and also just f—ing punch your friend,“ Lübben adds. „Hardcore’s origins are [centered on] a positive mental attitude and finding solutions to the issues. But at the shows because of all the mosh pit culture and the slam culture, it can be pretty violent and give off the wrong message sometimes, even if those kids in the pit that are being super aggressive are oftentimes just trying to find a positive release for their issues. So we like to disarm people. We dress funny and look like goofballs so that everyone can just relax.“
While the thirtysomething members of Spøøky can sometimes feel like the oldheads in the hardcore scene (what with their full-time jobs and whatnot), they’re greatly appreciative that the younger guys in the scene still dig their music and want to share concert bills with them. But their more ache-prone bodies aren’t slowing Spøøky down. The band is currently on tour with Marvin’s other Spokane hardcore band Blacktracks, just recorded five songs and has plans to release music videos and new songs (including „The Neighbors Upstairs,“ which dropped just last week) in the upcoming months.
But more than anything else, Lübben continually wants to emphasize that Spøøky’s Scablands hardcore is meant to be inclusive and fun for everyone (perhaps call it „The Lone Deranger Code“).
„We are absolutely all about love ideologies and philosophies,“ Lübben says. „We are for queer people, trans rights, immigrants and people who are on the margins of society.“ ♦
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