RUG

- 18 with photo ID
- Vinyl is a general admission, standing room venue
RUG, based out of Orlando, Florida, makes no pretenses about who they are. With music written for the pleasure of their fans, their brand of "radio-friendly indie rock" has elicited buzz around their debut full length album, 02. Over the course of the last year, RUG has spent a lot of time on the stage. With headlining performances at Orlando's House of Blues, Florida Music Festival, the Driven Conference at the Hard Rock, and… Show more countless other performances, RUG is gaining new fans every day. Even with an extensive schedule of live performances, RUG has dedicated most of their time during the previous year to crafting the ten songs that create 02. It is difficult to overlook the buzz in the local music scene that prompted Examiner.com to insist that "music like this won't keep the band a local secret for long." Further, with the rapidly increasing popularity of this independently funded and released album, there is no telling how far 02 will take RUG: "02 has all quality songs that have a universal appeal for music fans across many genres".
Lead vocalist Jon Messeroff explains how the production of this album was so different from the band's EP, released nearly two years ago, "This time around, everyone's on the same page. We were better organized to put together a record." It is with this preparation that RUG entered North Avenues Studios with a very clear idea of how they wanted this album to sound. Drawing from vast musical influences ranging from Jeff Buckley to Jack White to Young the Giant, RUG has created a blend of indie-rock and pop-rock that appeals to a broad audience and is tailor-made for mainstream radio, without forsaking Hogan, Andrew and C.L.'s musicianship or Jon's, "charismatic lead vocals and story-telling lyrics" (Examiner.com). The songs of 02 cover an impressive range of territory. "Winnebago," the album's lead single, paints a picture of the vast Nebraska farmland, and Hogan's experiences there. "'61" is a tribute to Jon's late father and, "unfolds with a vaguely bluesy feel, a mood that's elevated by a memorable chorus" (Orlando Sentinel). Each song tells a story, and each story is accompanied by a strong hook that will leave you humming the tune long after you've finished listening to the album. "We didn't set out to write songs with a particular sound," says Jon Messeroff. "We simply got together as four musicians to create music, and the outcome is what you hear on 02."

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