Drug Rug Mercury Lounge August 14th, 2009 Written by Turhan Cayalk Photographed by Susan Gurevich Opposite Photo: Sarah Cronin of Drug Rug

After seeing Animal Collective earlier in the evening in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, I finally trained it over to Mercury Lounge to catch Drug Rug, a band from Cambridge, Massachusetts. I thought I was going to be very late, but, in fact, I was early enough to catch the last five songs of Ezra Furman and the Harpoons. These guys were fantastic. I didn’t take any notes on the quintet rockers but I remember enjoying their sound. Even the yellow rain coat donned by Ezra Furman was eye-catching as the group’s front man. I’ll catch these guys next time.

Thomas Allen of Drug Rug

After the Harpoons broke I just chilled out with my friend Chris. We had eaten two prodigious diner kebab platters from Bereket, which is a popular Turkish fast food place right around the corner. I recommend it highly since it’s scrumptious, it’s fast, and I’m Turkish, myself.

Sarah Cronin and Thomas Allen of Drug Rug

Sarah Cronin, Drug Rug’s adorable lead singer and rhythm guitarist, began the set with "Paint the Fence." I later gathered it’s actually the title of their latest album which I encourage anyone who vibes with down home, bluesy rock n’ roll to buy.
The song started off sleepily and I thought that was going to be the pace of the rest of their set, however, I was wrong. "Paint the Fence" rocked me into listening with my soul rather than using my judgment and taking the time to write down any notes. In fact, I didn’t write any notes until their 8th or 9th song entitled "Coffee." If you like storytelling in a tune and are a fan of Van Morrison, "Coffee" is dramatic enough to make you think it’s an underscore of an upcoming shootout in an old Hollywood western. This is where Ms. Cronin shined as a singer. With her short, pink, polka-dotted skirt and hair-sprayed mane, Sarah Cronin has the talent to rock the vocals like a young Lita Ford, but dresses like a high school junior. I, personally found it to work though Sarah may not know it yet.

What followed next was "Passes." Although strong, "Rest of your Life," was explosive. This is the kind of song they need a video for- if they don’t have one already. At this point, Cronin’s voice was reminiscent of Janis Joplin.

"Day I Die" was the show’s closer. It’s a chill, feel-good, chicken and beer, outdoor jam which I’m sure would do better at Prospect Park.

Drug Rug was fun to watch. The bassist and drummer sported dark shades during the entire set evoking the spirit of The Blues Brothers. Ms. Cronin and the lead guitarist switched parts during a couple of songs. Ms. Cronin even rocked the drums at one point which I found to be a sexy high note for the night. I’ll definitely catch these guys on the flip-side. Good going, D