4/14 White Rabbits @ The Independent
Wednesday was a packed night of rock n’ roll across our fair city, and I found my way to the Independent so I could catch White Rabbits with our friends Here We Go Magic. If you weren’t there, you missed one heck of a show.
Here We Go Magic opened this evening, but their performance indicated bigger things to come from the group, especially with their new album Pigeons set to come out soon. Talking with lead singer Luke Temple before the show, it seems that he can’t wait for that headlining spot, so he can let the songs sprawl a little bit more than they already do, as 45 minutes can be a bit of a rush to let all the nuances show. The band offered up some new tunes from their upcoming album such as “Collector,” which has already been a live staple for sometime now. As well as new numbers, the band also included “Only Pieces” and “Fangela” to round out their evening. The new songs reflect a band finally working together, as Temple was the songwriter for the group’s debut. This was reflected in their show, as the band seemed much tighter than I’ve seen them, not to mention the fact that Luke showed extreme exuberance, dancing about the stage, waving his hands in the air.
It’s been a bit of time since I listened to the White Rabbits It’s Frightening. I had forgotten just how enjoyable the entire album was, but that quickly changed when they group took to the stage. Greg Roberts and Stephen Patterson looked so focused throughout the entire set, both frontmen sharing an intent stare into the audience as the group rocked on behind them. It would be easy too to say that Matt Clark owned the show, as his maneuvering across the stage, and excessive drumming just adds that much more impact to the band’s live performance.
The majority of their set included a lot of the great numbers (well, they all are) from It’s Frightening, such as “Rudie Fails,” “They Done Wrong/We Done Wrong, and “Company I Keep.” It’s funny that a lot of people give these guys a nod towards Spoon, which I understand since the group had Britt at the helm of recording, but I just didn’t get that too much live. For me, they rocked more like The Walkmen, and even dressed the part. Patterson and Roberts’ vocals have a little bit more of a growl to them, yet all the same, their music is extremely accessible, which is probably why several members in the audience were caught running in place as the percussive element carried them away.
White Rabbits closed the night with “Percussion Gun,” as they should have. The forceful drumline pounded away while the rest of the band got the crowd moving; this is a reminder that this is one of the greatest singles to come out in the last few years, hands down. It capped off a great night at The Indpendent, proving to me once again that White Rabbits are just one album away from absolute stardom. Thanks for the killer live show fellas!
The wonderful pics are courtesy of Jennifer Murtha. Check out more of her work on Flickr.