White Rabbits come home

The band started at MU in 2004 and will perform at The Blue Note.

By Tom Carbone

Published Oct. 27, 2009

With promises of Shakespeare's Pizza on stage at their upcoming show, rock band White Rabbits knows the ins and outs of Columbia fine dining. This indie-rock band, now based in New York, met while attending MU back in 2004. Guitarist and vocalist Greg Roberts and pianist and vocalist Stephen Patterson formed the band along with guitarist Alex Even and bassist Adam Russell.

"I met a few of the guys while they were working at Streetside Records in Columbia and we kind of just started playing in bands together," singer and guitarist Alex Even said. "We kind of grew out of that, though."

After relocating to New York, the group recruited more friends and eventually developed a solid chemistry with six members.

"We felt it was time to get out of the safety net that is Columbia, Mo., and try to do things on a bigger scale," Even said.

They did just that, releasing their debut album, Fort Nightly, on Say Hey Records in 2007. The band was critically acclaimed by the New York Times and Pitchfork and started touring shortly after the album's release. They were even featured on an NPR segment, "World Café," and performed on David Letterman in May 2009.

This year they released It's Frightening on TBD Records, making them label-mates with famous rock bands Radiohead and Underworld. After releasing such a successful and acclaimed debut, fans wondered what the band would do with a new label and a new producer. It's Frightening lives up to their catchy debut release and really shows how the band has grown since 2007.

"(This record) was a lot more off the cuff and quick," Even explained. "We recorded it in four weeks, where as with Fort Nightly, we kind of had to sneak in recording time whenever we could."

Produced more professionally and with clearer intentions than their earlier work, It's Frightening proved White Rabbits could make it as a rock band. Touring almost non-stop in the U.S. and U.K., along with a show at South by Southwest, White Rabbits are finally getting the attention they deserve. Next year their latest record will be released worldwide and they will continue to tour, adding foreign locales like Australia to their agenda.

Known for their commanding stage presence, unique instrumentation and creative cover songs, White Rabbits put on a great live show.

"We like to keep things interesting for us and for the people at the show. We have a few tricks up our sleeves," Even said.

White Rabbits will be performing at The Blue Note this Thursday, reinvigorating the venue with a certain energy only a hometown band could provide.