White Rabbits and Here We Go Magic Drum Together in Chicago

Since fellow Brooklynites and touring mates White Rabbits and Here We Go Magic use heavy percussion artillery in their songs, it made sense for the bands to unite onstage Sunday night at Metro in Chicago. Before welcoming the Rabbits' two drummers, opening quintet Magic played a couple of new ones from their forthcoming June release, 'Pigeons,' including 'Surprise' and the gorgeously layered 'Collector.' In preparation for 'Only Pieces,' they announced they needed help in the drumming department, so Matt Clark and Jamie Levinson of White Rabbits joined Magic for the psychedelic song. With four drummers total and two sets of drums, drumsticks flew up and down in rapid succession and synchronicity generating an intense tribal feel. After a couple of more songs, Magic finished their set but would be back for an unbelievable encore.

The six-piece ensemble of Rabbits took to the stage and opened with a pair of songs from their debut record, 'Fort Nightly': 'While We Go Dancing' and 'Dinner Party.' Levinson focused on his drumkit and Clark used mallets to hit his tympani-like trio of kick drums while frontmen Greg Roberts and Stephen Patterson shared vocal duties. As they headed into the energetic 'Rudie Fails' and 'Company I Keep' from last year's 'It's Frightening,' the tambourine somehow rotated from one band member to another and ended up on top of a hi-hat. Rabbits rocked breakthrough songs 'The Plot' and 'Kid on My Shoulders' where Clark, holding a maraca in one hand and a mallet in another, pelted his drums with unprecedented precision. Before performing 'Midnight and I,' Roberts mentioned when he and Levinson were in high school, they played in a ska band and one of their first shows was at the Metro. Years later, he couldn't believe they were back there together.


After playing the rhythmic powerhouse 'Percussion Gun,' Rabbits came back for a two-song encore. First the percussionists hit the stage, then the rest of the band came back followed by Here We Go Magic, who returned the favor and assisted the Rabbits with their drumming. With 11 people onstage slamming everything in sight, 'The Lady Vanishes' turned into a cacophony of controlled chaos that accelerated right into final song 'The Salesman (Tramp Life)' without stopping.