White Rabbit
WHERE: Norton’s, 580 Lincoln Park Blvd., Kettering
WHEN: 9 p.m. Friday, July 9
COST: $5
MORE INFO: (937) 294-2278 or www.nortonsgrill.com
WHERE: Hank’s Pub, 2529 Patterson Road, Kettering
WHEN: 9 p.m. Friday, July 16
COST: Free
MORE INFO: (937) 254-7527
ARTIST INFO: www.whiterabbitband.com
Seasoned musicianship and a heavy dose of harmony-rich music from the 1970s to the present has been the calling card for local cover band White Rabbit since forming in 2005. Club-goers have been eating up this infectious mix of classic songs, but most folks don’t realize, as they’re drinking and grooving to the music, that this group is packed with Dayton luminaries.
Mike Losekamp played keyboards on two classic recordings from the 1960s — The Cyrkle’s “Red Rubber Ball,” and the lesser-known, but equally-awesome, “Hey Conductor” by The Mark V. Bassist Larry Vest was a longtime member of local favorites Giant. More recently, he was a member of Timer and Pink Flamingo with his vocalist wife, Toni, and Losekamp.
In the 1970s, guitarist Mike Baumann was a member of local rockers Gandalf, but was retired from music for two decades before joining White Rabbit. Drummer Gary Marcum, who joined the group in January, was a member of premier new wave band The Lovers in the early 1980s.
“I don’t think people realize the pedigree of this band,” Marcum said. Mike played on “Red Rubber Ball,” and he and Larry were both in Giant, who ruled The Nite Owl for years.”
A big chunk of White Rabbit’s set is music from the ’70s, from Steely Dan and Little River Band to Fleetwood Mac. However, there are some contemporary songs by acts like Sheryl Crow, Maroon 5 and Lady Antebellum.
“With White Rabbit, we just like to have a good time and play,” Larry Vest said. “We play songs that aren’t common.”
“We were playing the other night and some guy goes, ‘I like this radio station,’ after we finished a song,” Toni Vest said. “I take that as a compliment.”
“We did some of these songs 30 years ago,” Losekamp said. “We liked them then and we still like them now, so we decided to work them up.”
There are two upcoming opportunities to see White Rabbit live. The band performs at Norton’s on Friday, July 9, and Hank’s Pub on Friday, July 16.
“I think White Rabbit appeals to everybody,” Marcum said. “I saw them play before I joined and they were doing all this great material. I was like, ‘I’d like to play those songs.’ They were doing all kinds of songs and people just ate it up.”
“I’m at the point now where I’m just going to enjoy playing,” Toni Vest said. “I’m not worried about trying to get discovered and we’re having a blast.”
Contact contributing arts and music writer Don Thrasher at donaldthrasher8@aol.com.
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