Fencing swords, an air mattress, grandma-length skirts and hooded cloaks were just a few of the props and costumes local band Pudgel utilized during a recent set at Cheba Hut. A frenzy of kids smushed themselves into the restaurant’s outdoor “stage” space to get a look and listen.

Pudgel’s antics have a gimmicky nature, but it’s not meant to detract from the music; it’s meant to amplify the experience. “Sometimes just having music on a stage isn’t really enough for me to be entertained,” frontman Roman Berry says.

It’s difficult to believe that Pudgel couldn’t grab people’s attention with its music alone. The group’s live sound merges progressive rock and experimental soundscapes, but in its fluidity, it transcends genre.

“Every song on this record is a different genre, in a way,” drummer Gavin Skougard says about a yet-unreleased debut album. “Like, the first song is a noise rock song, the second song is just an actual rock song and the third song … we don’t even know what it is; it’s just cool.”

Pudgel was a project born in secret. Berry, Skougard and bassist Alec Brines formed their band while actively playing with another local musician, Peachole. Their earlier singles are mellow and reflect little of their musical capabilities. Take, for instance, their recorded track “Gummies.” It’s starkly opposite to what they played at the Cheba Hut gig—a toned-down folk tune that seems to have been written by completely different people.

In a way, it was. Berry and Skougard left for New York City for a few months in 2022, and during that time they grew and fused a unit. The two shared a twin-sized mattress shoved inside a tiny closet belonging to Peachole, worked the same job at the Empire State Building and recorded music together.

When they returned to Vegas, their vision for Pudgel had transformed. The singles became cleaner and faster versions of themselves— so much so that the band’s bassist had to relearn tempos his bandmates had adjusted.

“I’d say my struggle was trying to get down some of the bass lines Roman wanted to hear,” Brines says.

Berry explains that his standards for sound quality and overall musicianship heightened. That led to longer jam sessions and a goal of constant musical evolution. As Skougard sees it, musicianship and relationships have similar qualities: You work at it, compromise, communicate and come to understandings.

All members have had an interest in playing music from a young age. Skougard’s parents enrolled him in drumming lessons at 5 years old. Brines went from playing percussion in middle school to venturing into string instruments. Berry began learning guitar at age 12. That mix of classically trained and self-taught musicians is compelling.

Right now, Pudgel’s members are interested in furthering the medium of rock music, which should be apparent in their upcoming album. “I would say it sounds manic at times and also fearful, which are the two things I want to convey,” Berry says.

But what’s especially important to the frontman is world-building. Being the explorative and visionary personof the project, Berry inundates himself with endless ideas. The band tapped local filmmaker Jovanny Haro to help flesh out its dreamscape music videos. The visuals, storytelling and sound invite listeners into the vivid world of Pudgel.

“I’m not trying to give anyone anything … it’s pretty self indulgent,” Berry concedes. “I just want to keep doing things out of my comfort zone and fail faster, so I can learn and grow.”

PUDGEL pudgel.bandcamp.com, instagram.com/pudgel

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