Silly Rabbits, Opening is for Kids

By Lizz Kannenberg in Arts & Entertainment on Jun 5, 2007 4:48PM

White Rabbits are doing something right, because the Brooklyn sextet has gone from a band we checked out at SXSW because they are friends with a friend of ours to one of the buzziest bands in the blogosphere. No surprise, really – these kids can bring the good times rocknroll, and an 8.1 album rating from Pitchfork didn’t hurt either.

As we’ve mentioned before, Chicagoist first caught these guys in a Lakeview loft last winter and was floored by their innovative take on grandiose pop songs and obvious musical skillz. White Rabbits will need all the chops they’ve got on this spring tour, as headliners Mystery Jets had to drop off due to visa issues. Nevertheless, Chicagoist was lucky enough to catch with pianist/vocalist Steve Patterson this morning on the band’s way into our fair town.

Chicagoist: What happened with Mystery Jets and how are you handling suddenly being the headliner on this tour?

Steve Patterson: They just couldn’t get visas to get into the country. It sucks that we only found out two weeks before the tour started, so we didn’t have much time to do anything about it. We headlined the Bowery show (in New York), and it sold out, but we don’t know how things will go in like, Denver (laughs).

C: You’ve played Chicago a lot lately, what’s your favorite part of coming through here?

SP: I have a lot of friends here that I went to school with in Missouri. It’s a chance to catch up with them, and that’s my favorite part of playing here. I really hate the wind, though.

C: What are you most looking forward to about this tour?

SP: It’ll be a great chance for us to figure out how to play shows at this level because we have no other option. We’ll get that big tour experience under our belts by headlining, though there are a couple of dates where we’re supporting. In LA, we’re playing with Yo Majesty!, which should be fun. I heard they get naked on stage and stuff, so they might kick our asses.

C: Chicago Word Association:
- Pitchfork: Snobby
- Cicadas: Loud
- Smoking ban: A shame
- Lollapalooza: Perry Farrell? I don’t know (laughs)

White Rabbits play Schubas tonight with smart Chicago quirk-popsters Skybox | 10pm | $7