White Rabbits at High Noon Saloon
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With the opening, tribal punch of “Rudie Fails,” Midwest-gone-New York City transplants White Rabbits immediately proved to Tuesday night's giant crowd at the High Noon Saloon that they have no trouble backing up their two excellent, if massively hyped, albums with a phenomenal live show. The hammering pulse of percussionist-guitarist Matthew Clark and drummer Jamie Levinson sent the audience into dancing spasms, while vocalist-pianist Stephen Patterson hammered away at the keys and sent his shaky voice flying across the room.
Due to the Rabbits’ keen musicianship, every tune translated flawlessly in the live setting. The harmonies between Patterson and vocalist-guitarist Greg Roberts connected gracefully, as the tight basslines of Brian Betancourt punched into every polyrhythm without sacrificing the melody. During the haunting “Midnight And I,” Levinson grabbed a guitar and joined lead-guitarist Alex Even in the e-bow-charged chorus—their intertwined guitar drones washing under the vocals.
Guitarist Greg Roberts, looking pointedly "not impressed."Jessica Steinhoff
While many tunes from the recently released It’s Frightening—especially the shuffling “They Done Wrong/We Done Wrong” and the Roxy Music-esque “Right Where They Left”—sold themselves immediately, much of the crowd remained stuck on 2007’s Fort Nightly. During salsa-rocker “Kid On My Shoulders,” a man in a polo shirt awkwardly tried to give the woman next to him a dance lesson. Tambourine-driven fan favorite “The Plot” was met with roaring applause and a sing-along when Patterson and Roberts howled, “He’s not impressed.” The aforementioned line was especially appropriate for Roberts, who—with his scornful looks, slicked back hair, and cuffed high-water jeans—appeared completely unimpressed with everything. Roberts didn’t look thrilled, but Patterson practically fell off his bench with excitement as he pounded his electric piano.
The Rabbits left the stage after “The Plot,” only to return for an encore with the creepy shuffles of “Dinner Party” and “The Salesman (Tramp Life).” While many indie-rock bands currently thrive on hype—putting out some catchy tunes, and then back them up with sloppy, half-realized live shows until some influential voice hits the “oops" button—bands like White Rabbits are able to ride the hype-wave responsibly and be all-around great at what they do.
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