RUB deliver a celebration of community and catharsis with 'Live at the Neptune'

There’s something sacred about capturing a band in the exact moment the room catches fire. Seattle’s RUB have bottled that spark with their live-to-vinyl recording at the Neptune Theatre, and the result feels like a manifesto pressed into wax.

From the opening swell of crowd noise, you can sense this is more of a communal exhale than a simple live performance. The six-piece collective lean fully into the raw electricity of the evening. What makes this recording so compelling is its refusal to polish away the human edges. You hear the breath between harmonies, the grit in the guitar lines, and the joyful push-and-pull between rhythm section and synth textures.

Standout 'At My Favorite Show' becomes an anthem within an anthem here, a song about live music that thrives most when performed in front of a heaving crowd. The chorus surges with layered vocals that feel almost choral, yet never overly slick. It’s exuberant, unfiltered, and impossible not to move to.

'Contentment', the track that first put them firmly on Seattle’s radar, takes on new dimensions in this setting. Where the studio version radiates buoyancy, the live cut pulses with urgency. The groove digs deeper, the harmonies feel bigger, and the band’s chemistry becomes undeniable.

And then there’s their take on Phantogram’s 'When I’m Small' to close things out, a daring choice that pays off spectacularly. Rather than mimic the original’s brooding cool, RUB reimagine it with swagger and muscle. The cover becomes a celebration of reinvention, filtered through their signature blend of synth shimmer, rock drive, and soulful vocal interplay.

What truly defines this release is its sense of togetherness. Formed from members of several seasoned Seattle outfits, RUB operate like a supergroup without ego, where every player is carving space while lifting the whole. This live document is music designed to pull people onto the floor, to remind them they’re alive, and to nudge them toward action.