Rhubarb Jones Rocks Out

In the minutes before Rhubarb Jones took the stage at the Knights of Columbus in Garwood, each of the band’s four members went through something of a pre-set ritual.

Singer Alex Sugarman, 18, tuned his black saxophone. Guitarist Brian Seltzer, 19, put a vest on over his Red Hot Chili Peppers tee and then strapped his Stratocaster on over that. Bassist Steven Magee, 16, batted a beach ball with his buddies and drummer Sander Bryce, 18, knelt at the lip of the stage and lifted his t-shirt so that fan Melissa Goldberg, 14, who has been to six Rhubarb Jones shows, could scrawl a message on his chest in ball point pen.

“They’re so good live,” gushed Goldberg, whose pink hair matched her shorts.

The band’s funky jams and high-energy stage show recently won them a region-wide battle of the bands contest and a coveted spot at Bamboozle, a music festival in May that drew tens of thousands and featured headliners Drake, Paramore, MGMT and Weezer. They've also recorded a six-song demo, plus a live set for an internet radio station run by “Little” Steven Van Zandt and shot a music video for their song, “Right Now,” all at Soundwave Studios in Union.

Guitarist Seltzer said he is “ecstatic” riding Rhubarb Jones’ popularity wave. But the burgeoning band is at a crossroads.

Last year, Seltzer went off to college at Rutgers, but returned home on weekends to rehearse as Rhubarb Jones picked up steam. Next year, singer Sugarman and drummer Bryce will go away to school at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.

“We don’t quite know what’s going to happen next,” Seltzer said. The core lineup came together two summers ago when Bryce and Seltzer, pals at Livingston High School, began jamming with a friend and guitarist Aaron Silverstein, who knew Sugarman, who is from Millburn. Silverstein put an A.P.B. out for musicians, and someone suggested Magee, also of Millburn.

“He called me up out of the blue,” Magee said. “It just stuck.”

The band called itself Leviathan and played shows at a community center in Millburn. By the middle of the fall, though, artistic differences cropped up. Silverstein, whose style tended toward classic rock in contrast to Seltzer’s funk, informed his band mates via a Facebook message that he wanted out.

Undaunted, the core quartet doubled down, rehearsing and honing song ideas in Bryce’s basement in Livingston and sometimes Magee’s basement in Millburn. They also needed a new name. That came by happenstance when Sugarman clicked on a musicians "wanted ad" on Craigslist that took him to a website for Rockasuarus, which bills itself as a “Georgia Party Band.” On the band’s website is a video testimonial from an Atlanta disc jockey named Rhubarb Jones. Sugarman knew he’d found the band’s name.

“There were some initial objections,” he said. “But it grew on people.” Rhubarb Jones the man, who was reached in Atlanta, said he was flattered that a Jersey band named itself after him. He compared the fact to the story about southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd garnering their name from their high school gym teacher. He also likes the tunes.

“Though I made my living as a country music disc jockey for the better part of 36 years some of my favorite music was Chicago and Earth, Wind and Fire,” he said. “These guys it’s kind of like Chicago and Earth, Wind and Fire got together and said, ‘Hey, let’s design a band.’ I think these kids have a lot on the ball.”

Seltzer said the streamlined line-up and new name allowed the band to forge its own identity. In November 2009, they recorded their demo at Soundwaves and the following month entered "The Break Contest," a battle-of-the bands in which 500 entrants were whittled down to just seven acts that got to perform at Bamboozle. Highlight gigs during the run up to Bamboozle included a barn burner at Rockin’ Joe’s in Millburn that drew so many people the venue was forced to open both its front doors because of the fire code.

“All of Millburn got to hear Rhubarb Jones that night,” Sugarman said.

Fan Ian Eckstein, 15, who sported a Rhubarb Jones t-shirt at the Garwood gig said he loves the band because they’re unique. “They’re different from what everyone else is doing,” he said. “Today’s bands are all the same, they’re all wearing skinny jeans and doing the same thing, these guys started and it was like, wow.”

Seltzer said his favorite memory was being declared a Break Contest winner after a show at New Jersey’s most famous rock club, the Stone Pony in Asbury Park. And then there was the Bamboozle gig itself.

“It was a great thing to have done by the time you’re 18,” Sugarman said. Then he pointed at Magee. “Or in your case 16.”

Underneath hanging props of clouds, a moon and a parrot and in front of a sky-blue curtain, Rhubarb Jones kicked out the jams at their Knights of Columbus show. Frontman Sugarman was the most animated, rapping, whooping and singing in a crisp alto that he sometimes ratcheted to a shrill soprano. He boogalooed, shot finger guns at friends and dropped a few colorful phrases on the mic.

“My name is Shug!” he announced with the bravado of a hip-hop magnate, braces and Conan O’Brien hair notwithstanding. Fan Justin Lipman, 19, singer in the Livingston-based band Hey Lovey Dovey, said he most enjoyed watching drummer Bryce onstage.

“He makes good facial expressions,” Lipman said. “It’s like a combination of someone electrocuting him and him enjoying it.”

The band knocked out a surprising cover of Destiny’s Child’s, “Say My Name,” featuring bassist Magee in a tight duet with Sugarman. The band also debuted a new song called “Turn Up The Heat.” Magee’s father, also named Steven Magee, filmed the show with a handheld recorder.

“I really like these guy’s music, it’s really outstanding,” he said. “It’s just too bad next year that they’ve got two guys going off to college, I hope they’re able to keep it together in some way.”

When Rhubarb Jones played their last song, “By My Side,” there were twice as many people in the room as when they began. Seltzer said that he believes the band can “go places,” and said everyone “wants to keep it going.” He also seems prepared to do the hard work to make that happen.

Less than two hours after strumming his final chord, Seltzer was at his job, working the graveyard shift stocking shelves at the Target in East Hannover, which is about as rock ‘n’ roll as a night can get.