The buzz surrounding the Rubblebucket Orchestra echoed through Rochester on a busy Friday as the members of the band made their rounds through two radio interviews, a short set at the Record Archive and an over two-hour set at the Lovin’ Cup. The chaotic day came just prior to the band’s soon-to-be released self-titled sophomore effort on October 13th.

The place was loud, maddening loud, with eight musicians crammed together on stage, equipped with brass, woodwind, vocals, electric guitar, bass, and drums. The band delivered a raw, unfettered punch, as bits and pieces of several genres came to mind for comparison – none clever or fitting enough to match the far-reaching sound beaming out of the speakers. The horns derailed all conversation in the venue, easily infiltrating listeners’ ears, and remaining there. Lead vocalist and sax player Kalmia Traver took a stab at narrowing down the band’s boundless sound: “We’re trip-rock, psychedelic funk, with really bangin’ horns.”

From the first crackle of Traver’s vocals flowed a gritty and unwavering energy. Honest and verbose, lyrics like, “baby you cookin’ hot beauty with pain/cutting into me, chopping into me,” set the tone while carrying through the entire set with a lingering intensity.

If anyone in the crowd was hesitant to feel the groove at the start of the set, they broke free by the end of the second tune, “Bad Mr. Kurtz.” The drums of the jazz/funk composition carefully treaded the atmospheric buildup that was to follow. With a steady walk of the bass backed by a confident African-influenced guitar hook and vocals that climbed ominously, the song finally peaked with an eruption of powerful, chaotic improvisation and a crescendo featuring overpowering horns getting the last word. The crowd was thrashing around by its end – it was nearly impossible to stand still.

The set consisted of old and new. The band played a good amount off its upcoming release and touched on its debut album, 2008’s Rose’s Dream.

The night ended with the same intensity as it began: high energy coupled with a near euphoric rush. Traver, trumpeter Alex Toth and trombonist Adam Dotson came offstage to get down with the audience during the last few tunes. By set’s end, Traver was rolling on the floor with her sax, pouring every last bit of air she had into the instrument, while Toth and Dotson played shoulder to shoulder to a crowd that was evidently hooked.