red lights

Concert Livewire
concert reviews cd reviews interviews featuresticket swap music news

Walkmen satisfy, White Rabbits inspire

The Walkmen / White Rabbits
Turner Hall
Milwaukee, WI
Jan. 18, 2008
The Walkmen
The Walkmen
White Rabbits
White Rabbits
The Walkmen
The Walkmen

Story and Photos by Matt Schwenke

As two very different versions of New York City rock, the Walkmen and White Rabbits proved to be a fine pairing during an early tour stop at Milwaukee's Turner Hall Ballroom. Whether it was the White Rabbit's self-ascribed "honky tonk calypso" or the Walkmen's self-ascribed "melodramatic pop," both bands belted out compelling and moody sounds.

With new material in the works following the 2006 release A Hundred Miles Off, the Walkmen incorporated a host of new material into their set. As singer/guitarist Hamilton Leithauser unfurled vocal lines in varying degrees of a strained, Dylanesque sort of shout, the guitars and organ sounds surrounded the engaging singer in a dense, warm fog that was gritty yet not abrasive. A new tune being called "On the Water," was a potent mix of the band's subdued rock, as was "No Christmas While I'm Talking" from the 2004 release Bows and Arrows. With a sound more suited for an intimate club setting, in which they have played during previous tour stops in Milwaukee and are often associated with, the Walkmen were remarkably full in sound but lost some intensity as some of the finer differences in their songs were washed together the further one got from the stage.

In a much more diverse display of composition and a decidedly more energetic sound that carried the length of the ballroom well, the White Rabbits delivered Arcade Fire-class excitement with musicians shuffling between instruments and spurring each other on in. Touring in support of their 2007 debut Fort Nightly, White Rabbits have created a gem of an album that translates to the stage with impressive rapture. With drummers Matt Clark and Jamie Levinson laying down an infectious calypso backbone, "Navy Wives" featured the keys and fiery vocals of Stephen Patterson, while "Kid On My Shoulders" featured the same elements in an even more raucous delivery. The group's hit single "The Plot" would feature the less aggressive but equally expressive voice of guitarist Greg Roberts in the dance-rock thumper, while "Dinner Party" stirred up eerie washes of sound with Roberts' voice leading the way. Performing what seemed to be the group's entire album, the White Rabbits are already a compelling live act and should have a bright future.

Related articles:

The Walkmen - A Hundred Miles Off - Album Review

White Rabbits
White Rabbits
White Rabbits
White Rabbits
White Rabbits
White Rabbits
The Walkmen
The Walkmen
White Rabbits
White Rabbits
The Walkmen
The Walkmen
White Rabbits
White Rabbits
White Rabbits
White Rabbits

What Do You Think?

Name:

Artist:

City & State:

e mail:

Here's Your Chance to.... Respond!



Your feedback will be featured on
Rant or Rave within 24 hours.

Return to Reviews
Return to Menu