Dylan Harris, Phil Gibbs, Eric Verellen and Tim Erbach of Flagstaff rock band Dusty Rug all made their ways out to Flagstaff from different places and for different reasons.
Dusty Rug singer and rhythm guitarist Harris initially moved to Flagstaff to attend NAU. Working at Diablo Burger, he met fellow musician Verellen. The two met up outside of work for a jam session and knew, almost instantly, they’d continue to play together.
“It was like, ‘Wow,’” Verellen said. “‘We’ve got something here.”
After college, Harris moved back home to Tucson, then returned to Flagstaff to brew beer at Mother Road Brewing Co. Working there, he met Gibbs, who had just moved to Flagstaff from Richmond, Virginia.
“We were filling kegs and talking about music, and I found out that he played the drums,” Harris said. “So, he came and hung out with me and Eric one day, and he’s still here.”
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Together, Harris, Gibbs and Verellen made up soon-to-be local favorite, Dusty Rug.
“[We] started playing with no bass player,” Verellen said. “It was really weird, but we made it work.”
A little bit of punk, a little bit of psychedelia and a lot of rock, the three frequented stages of some of Flag’s favorite live music venues.
“I think we’ve played locally more than just about anybody,” Verellen said. “There’s a few other bands that are really getting out there, playing a lot too, but I think we’re pretty well known here.”
While Verellen said the band’s next steps locally include playing some of the larger venues like the Orpheum and Yucca North, the turnout when Dusty Rug plays any local venue is impressive and the vibe is often electric.
“Any show at the Monte Vista is always a really good time for us,” Gibbs said. “We have the best crowds turn out for us, the best energy, and it just always is a memorable experience when we play there.”
After establishing their footing in the Flagstaff music scene, Harris said Dusty Rug was ready to record their first album, “Itch.” Available on major music streaming platforms, Dusty Rug recorded “Itch” in Los Angeles under less-than glamourous circumstances.
Harris said a good friend set up a home studio in their garage and the band got to working with Verellen filling in on bass. Over four or five days, the album was recorded and Dusty Rug’s goal of getting music out was becoming a reality.
“It was a learning process through and through,” Harris said. “Obviously, looking back, it doesn’t sound like we would want it to ideally, but, you know, it was our first go around, first album, and we’re very happy with how it came out, all things considered.”
The album was released on Nov. 4, 2022 and the band kicked off their tour with a hometown show at the Monte Vista.
After “Itch” was recorded, bass guitarist Tim Erbach joined Dusty Rug.
From Jersey City, New Jersey, Erbach was working for the emergency medical services (EMS) in New York but said he wanted a break to do more wilderness EMS work. So, Erbach came out to Flagstaff to get his wilderness EMT certification and “on a whim,” decided to stay in town following completion of his program.
Erbach said he had only rehearsed with Dusty Rug once before they went to Los Angeles to record “Itch.” While he enjoyed playing with the band, he explained that he wanted to hone his focus on completing his studies before focusing his time on the band.
“We were looking for a bass player, but we also didn’t want to like, jump the gun and just get anybody,” Harris said. “We were kind of holding out hope that eventually, we’d get Tim to join us.”
Once Erbach finished up school, he was ready to be the band’s full-time bass player – just in time for the “Itch” tour.
“We were like, ‘Yes, finally,’” Harris said.
Because Dusty Rug felt like they were already relatively established in the Flagstaff music scene, they wanted to branch out and try to reach new listeners across the southwest for their “Itch” tour.
Playing venues all around California and Arizona, Verellen said the band succeeded in introducing themselves to wider audiences.
“Flagstaff is its own little bubble, so there’s a lot of work to be done in places like Phoenix and Tucson, which aren’t that far away, but definitely are bigger music hubs and have a lot more venues,” Verellen said.
Verellen explained that Dusty Rug’s “Itch” tour served as the band’s introductory tour to the new places they played. He said that next time the band plays in these cities, they hope to see people coming back to hear their music.
On the “Itch” tour, Harris said Dusty Rug’s turnout at most shows was great, which boosted the band’s morale. However, he explained that the tour also gave them opportunities to bond.
For example, Harris said, one Los Angeles show at an outdoor venue was canceled because of rain. Instead of moping about the missed opportunity to play for a new audience, he said the band made the most of their day in California.
“We had some fun,” Harris said. “Went to the beach, ate some food, just did more things as a band than we typically get to do, so was cool.”
After the tour, Dusty Rug returned to Flagstaff having accomplished several milestones, together and individually. While “Itch” marked Dusty Rug’s first album and tour, it also was Harris, Verellen and Gibbs’ first album and tour to ever complete.
“It’s exciting,” Verellen said. “It’s kind of hard for me to believe it, but we did it all in the span of about nine months that we recorded it, released it and went on tour. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind, but that’s a huge personal accomplishment for all of us.”
Harris said that even though creating “Itch” and going on tour were huge moves for the band, their trajectory is set to continue as the Dusty Rug tries to take their music careers to a “full swing thing.”
The band is planning on recording their second album in 2023 with all four members on the tracks. Along with the second album, Dusty Rug also anticipates their second tour.
Now, Verellen said they’re in the songwriting process.
“We have a little bit of downtime over the next few months to really write some new material and get some new songs in the works,” Verellen said. “We’ll have a couple more live session videos that’ll be coming out over the next couple months as well.”
Continuing Dusty Rug’s momentum also involves continuing the fun and, albeit, wild energy at shows – part of why the band’s Flagstaff fans keep coming back for more.
With lots of energy on stage, Harris said Dusty Rug has fun whenever they’re performing. He explained that his favorite moments are ones when he can see his bandmates getting into the music and getting goofy with the performance.
Verellen said when the band truly gets into the music while on stage, it’s a magical feeling.
“We had this – I just got chills thinking about it happening – we had a show [recently], playing a song we’ve been playing for a while, but for whatever reason, it was just particularly special on that one night,” Verellen said. “Even in the midst of it, you’re playing it and you realize, ‘Oh man, this is really good.’”
Entering into this out-of-body-type of flow state while playing a show with a crowd is an unmatchable feeling, Verellen said.
However, regardless of the audience, members of Dusty Rug can enjoy themselves whenever they’re playing music together, Erbach explained.
“We’ve had some shows like our first time playing a venue in Phoenix on a weeknight, and there’s almost no one there. And we just have a really goofy time playing for a couple of hours,” Erbach said. “We’re still able to enjoy it and take risks with the music, just kind of play among ourselves. There were just like four people there, and we were still able to put on a good show and play well and find a way to enjoy those kinds of nights, which are pretty rare in this band.”
He said that nights without an audience can be miserable for bands without the right mindset, but with one another’s company, Dusty Rug is always a good time.
