Staff Writer Clark Newman and I decided to tag-team this review, as we were fighting over who got to cover it. White Rabbits hit up DC as the last stop on their short East Coast tour, and it was definitely worth missing the Oscars to see them.
White Rabbits came out of their holes and played to a sold out crowd at Rock and Roll Hotel on H Street last Sunday, prefaced by Caveman. White Rabbits had been on a break from touring to write and record a new album. They brought the energy and fervor you would expect from a group returning from a performance hiatus.
The evening started with Caveman, another Brooklyn NYC act, who brought five dudes and laid down a heavy, drums-driven sound with powerful tones and harmonies. They were a fairly pure rock sound with amps turned up hiiiigh and drumsticks flailing more than required.
White Rabbits brought an electrifying mix of psychedelic, indie inspired rock with aforementioned stir-crazy energy. They are six strong, and their lead man Steve Patterson does his work on a wooden upright piano (with keyboard on top). He sings with command and versatility, which is matched by the rest of the band continuously picking up different instruments, banging on extra drums, and harmonizing on backup vocals. During the encore performance of “Kid on My Shoulders,” bassist Brian Betancourt joined drummer Jamie Levinson and percussionist Matthew Clark on the drums, and the beats were almost palpable.
The audience showed their appreciation of the veracity of the performance with several instances of thunderous applause. White Rabbits were obviously having a great time playing music for a live audience again, and it showed in their genuine smiles and vibrant energy, which were reflected back at them from the crowd. At one point, Betancourt was thrashing on the floor with his bass, and the fans were practically spastic during “Percussion Gun.” The performance ranged from rock, even rockabilly-esque, to ska, even to new wave, and my notes from one song simply say, “SEXY. Crescendo.” [Ed. note — Olivia wrote this line, not Clark.]
Highlights of the show included when Patterson’s piano practically sang with its own voice during “Lionesse,” and when Caveman’s guitarist, Cobra, joined White Rabbits on stage for “They Done Wrong / We Done Wrong.” It seemed as if every song were a crowd favorite including, “Take a Walk Around the Table,” “The Salesman (Tramp Life),” “Midnight and I,” and “Rudie Fails.”
Patterson joked about us all missing the Oscars and then said, “That was a test. We’re all winners tonight.” Thanks to White Rabbits’ stellar performance, we all definitely were.
For more of Clark’s musings on music and life, check out his blog WhatDoYouDreamAbout.com.
