The Walkmen, White Rabbits, The Triggers

It is rare that a band adds or removes bits from their songs in a significant way; maybe an extra measure or a quiet solo during the encore, but the skeleton tends to remain the same. However, the music is never just a superficial mass of bones, and each band fleshes the songs out in their own way.

Pittsburgh locals The Triggers jumped into their set with a hurried song made more frantic by the energetic house lights. Their sound, like a mix of Phantom Planet and The Hives, clashed with the two guitarists’s lack of energy. Thankfully, keyboardist Brett Zoric and drummer Rich Kawood made up for it with their own zest. Rarely sitting, Zoric pounded the keyboard with great intensity. And when Zoric jumped on his chair every so often, his already tall 6-foot-plus body towered like some great beacon. Kawood was equally as intense, large afro swaying back and forth as he hammered the drums.

The White Rabbits smashed together a keyboardist, two guitarists, bassist, and two drummers to add meat to their songs. The jumble of instruments and band members made the stage seem as overflowing as the music, but I say this with the utmost respect. Every kick of the drums (either set!) brought a crashing wave of air that pushed right through you.

(I also respect the willingness of the two drummers to use any available tool to crash the cymbals and drums. Drum sticks? Of course. Tambourine? Absolutely. Maraca? Doubly so. I suppose it is not so novel, but it was new to me.)

The White Rabbits debut album Fort Nightly was duly celebrated, making some best-of lists and potentially earning them a Best New Artist of the Year award, but their recorded sound has not been enough to propel them to the tops of lists or hearts of indie kids nationwide. Backed by towering speakers, however, the White Rabbits proved their worth, with a sound that improved exponentially with its volume. I was on the fence about them before (you know, the one that straddles “good” and “great”), but their performance convinced me to support every letter of praise written about them.

As guitarist Greg Roberts and pianist Stephen Patterson share vocals, and the rest of the band has enough members for another band in and of itself, the White Rabbits have a strong, but diffuse, forcefulness. Described as mixing “honky tonk calypso, reggae, secondhand music hall, and big pop hooks”, they easily distance themselves from their Brooklyn-rock brethren (despite the metropolitan business-casual look). But really its the size those pop hooks grow to when played live that really set the White Rabbits apart.

Fellow New York City boys The Walkmen took the stage last. Considering the presence the White Rabbits (and even The Triggers) had on stage, the band looked almost small on the stage. Combined with the fact that only lead singer Hamilton Leithauser stepped out from the edges of the stage, The Walkmen provided a very different presence right from the beginning. With an empty stage and band members behind him, Leithauser pulled all attention. And for good reason.

The Walkmen’s lyrics have always been fairly narrative, but that night Leithauser was performing a one-man musical. Despite the other band members, there was the intimacy of a solo show, imbuing each song with an emotional breadth not quite felt in the album versions (not to say Leithauser’s emotionalism doesn’t record well; it does). And when Leithauser would lean back and yell the lyrics in his unique mix of Rod Stewart and Bob Dylan, he would throw the whole of his body into the words. It brought out a whole new personality in each of the songs.

Pittsburgh has had a deficiency in the past few years in drawing popular indie bands, but the ones that make it through this cloudy city have all been great performers. So besides the wool sweaters and dress shirts, The Triggers, White Rabbits, and The Walkmen all brought with them a lively kick to put behind their songs.

Listen:

The White Rabbits - Fox Hunting (Recorded live @ Diesel, 1/16/08)
The Walkmen - Little House of Savages (Recorded live @ Diesel, 1/16/08)

More photos by Mahsa Borhani at flickr.com:

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