Electric Lounge, November 14
Even with obvious pacing problems — big start, big finish, nary a laugh
inbetween — the Rugburns are still a healthy running gag for alternative rock,
a genre much in need of more folks that can rhyme “Rick Dees” and “jet skis” as
convincingly. But for an hour-plus at the Electric Lounge, San Diego’s Rugburns
weren’t that funny. Instead, they were all too close to being the
run-of-the-mill, alternative rock band they seem likely to lambaste. Or so it
seemed until they delivered a straight-faced, Hall & Oates take on TLC’s
“Waterfalls,” — complete with the Lisa “Left Eye” Lopez rap break — that was
genuinely hokey enough to make the rest of the Rugburns’ bland set seem like
brilliant self-parody, and a portent of things to come; namely their future as
the next generations Weird Al. — Andy Langer
This article appears in November 24 • 1995 and November 24 • 1995 (Cover).