Rugburn

First appearing in the Basement Scene in 2017, Rugburn has taken New Brunswick by storm. Arguably one of the popular bands at Rutgers University and one of my personal favorites, this Funk fusion band has become a must see to any college student who enjoys live music. Rugburn is well-known for their high energy performances and unique improvisations. Members include Josh Siegel on lead guitar, Jem Seidel on drums, Ian Young on bass guitar, and Cater Vames on saxophone and keyboard. 

In the last 2 years, they have released two studio albums, Trainwreck in 2018 and Mellow D in 2019. Some of their popular songs are Raindrops, Blueberry Jam, and Bass Case. Rugburn even has a house where they hold their shows and host other local bands called the “Roadhouse”, which is decorated with local street signs, vibrant lights, and can fit a considerable amount of people compared to other venues. In September of 2019, the album release show for Mellow D, the Roadhouse fit a little more than 100 people to hear the new album.

Rugburn has had their fair share of success outside of New Brunswick, playing many small venues in the Philadelphia and New York City area. Last year in 2019, Rugburn entered the Battle of the Bands at the Stone Pony at Asbury Park and made it all the way to the final round of the competition. If you are trying to get a sense of these guys’ sounds live, I highly recommend listening to their live recording at the Stony Pony. Rugburn is meant to be listened to live because that is where really distinguish themselves as a group. The band has also made two appearances on WRSU, Rutgers’ college radio station, and their live sessions have been uploaded to the WRSU youtube channel. 

You can catch Rugburn pretty much any weekend playing at the Roadhouse, drawing great crowds, and playing great music. If you haven’t seen these guys, you need to. It is a guaranteed good time.