Hey! Sorry for the slow reply.
I've tested the conditions you described (running from the un-extracted zip, etc.), and for the life of me I can't repro this bug. I know it's not ideal, but my co-dev Nick suggested trying to launch the game from the itch.io app (if you have it installed/don't mind using it, ofc) and seeing if that bypasses the error. The only consistent early game crash we've seen has been related to the DX9 dependency, and you've already addressed that, so I'm really not sure what's cropping up here.
Sorry for the lack of clarity on this; I'll keep prodding stuff on my end and see if I can recreate the crash. Thanks for your patience in the meantime!
bryan/[bucket drum games]