Tonight at Club Khameleon, local band Ruxpin is saying goodbye to a longtime member of their band.

Drummer Nick Anderson is moving to New York.

His departure coincides with the Doctor Teeeth CD release show – Ruxpin’s favorite band in the Kent scene.

“We like playing with the Teeeth,” bassist Marquis Milton said. “They play (with us) when everyone drops out.”

“(The) only reason we got shows was because of Teeeth,” guitarist Chris Anderson said.

Ruxpin played its first, and what may be its last show, with Doctor Teeeth. The band also favors playing with Unicron, which will be playing tonight, as well as supporting act The Black Diamonds.

The band started playing about two years after twin brothers Chris and Nick Anderson met guitarist Justin McHenry. They played together before their first show because they aimed to be good before they got on stage. Eventually, the band persuaded Milton to learn bass so they would have a full ensemble. Originally calling themselves 9,000 Square Feet of Guns, they played in the Rathskeller while they were still students at Kent State.

Since then, the band changed its name and have played shows at Screwy Louie’s – now BarCode – but frequent Club Khameleon.

Nick said it has never been a super-serious band but would welcome the chance to branch out to Akron and Cleveland.

The band has various influences from the rock genre. The band members have a fondness for Coheed and Cambria. Chris said he admires Neil Young as well as classic and emo rock, and McHenry tends to be a very bluesy player.

Though Chris shares vocals and guitar work, he said McHenry is the main writer of the band.

“(We) jam off of (what he writes), and we see what we can make of it,” Chris said.

For its latest concert, Ruxpin wrote and played six songs specifically for the show. The band members agreed their favorite song of the new ones to play is “Bruce Lee v. Jesus,” which they described as metal influenced.

Ruxpin said tonight will be the last show it will be playing for a while. They said to check them out at Club Khameleon early because they will be going on first.

Ruxpin encourages fans to stop by its show to say goodbye to Nick Anderson and ask him about his nickname.

Fans can expect the band to play all of their old favorites.

“We’re going to play as much as we can,” said Chris Anderson.

Contact ALL correspondent Madelyn Otcasek at [email protected].

RUXPIN Playing with Doctor Teeeth, Unicron, The Black Diamonds Where? Club Khameleon When? Tonight 8 p.m. How much? $5 over / $7 under