Blac Rabbit
{{Short description|American psychedelic rock band}}
{{About|the band|the release|Blac Rabbit (EP)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Blac Rabbit
| image = Blac Rabbit NYC Subway.jpg
| image_size =
| image_upright =
| landscape =
| alt =
| caption = Amiri and Rahiem Taylor perform in the New York City subway in 2017
| alias =
| origin = Rockaway Beach, Queens, New York, U.S.
| genre = Psychedelic rock
| years_active = {{c.}} 2013–present
| label = N/A
| associated_acts =
| website = {{URL|https://www.blacrabbit.com/}}
| current_members = Amiri Taylor
Rahiem Taylor
Patrick Jones
Frank Corr
Michael Meneses
}}
Blac Rabbit is an American psychedelic rock band based in Rockaway Beach, Queens, New York City. It is led by twin brothers, songwriters, singers, and guitarists Amiri and Rahiem Taylor, and backed by Patrick Starr (drums), Frank Corr (bass), and Michael Meneses (keyboards).{{cite video|title=Interview with Blac Rabbit|author=Don't Forget to Rock|publisher=YouTube|date=July 30, 2018|accessdate=August 1, 2018|quote=The guys really work on the music. It's mainly the twins. So I play with them—we're [only] the band when we're live.|at=6:20–30|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xrbONwx6fc&t=6m21s}} The band has released one self-titled EP. Their first full-length album, Interstella, was released on March 8, 2022.
History
=2013-2018: Early beginnings and ''Blac Rabbit EP''=
Around 2013, identical twin brothers Amiri and Rahiem Taylor met Patrick "Sticks" Jones at an open mic at a Sam Ash Music store in Brooklyn, New York City.{{cite web|url=http://pigeonsandplanes.com/discover/2018/03/beatles-subway-viral-blac-rabbit|title=Meet Blac Rabbit, the Subway Buskers with the Internet's Favorite Beatles Cover|last=Whitlock|first=Matt|date=March 2, 2018|work=Pigeons and Planes|publisher=Complex Media|access-date=March 19, 2018}} All recent high-school graduates, the trio formed Blac Rabbit—they say the name Black Rabbit was already taken. The Taylors are known for covering the Beatles on the New York City Subway, and they left supermarket jobs and put off college to pursue music full-time.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/18/nyregion/twin-brothers-beatles-subway-nyc.html|title=Live in the Subway: Maybe the Best Beatles Cover Band Ever|last=Rojas|first=Rick|date=March 18, 2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=March 19, 2018}} Bassist and occasional guitarist Josh Lugo joined later. The band is based in Rockaway Beach, Queens, New York City.{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2018/10/apa-ups-jules-urbanski-to-music-agent-triage-entertainment-partners-with-terence-wrong-hires-josh-poole-as-vp-1202483557/ |title=APA Ups Entertainment Partners With Terence Wrong, Hires Josh Poole As VP|last=Pederson|first=Erik|date=October 15, 2018|work=Deadline|access-date=October 29, 2018}}{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8480284/apa-promotes-jules-urbanski-music-agent|title=APA Promotes Jules Urbanski to Music Agent|last=Mims|first=Taylor|date=October 16, 2018|magazine=Billboard|access-date=October 29, 2018}}
Blac Rabbit digitally released the song "All Good" as a single in June 2016. The song was later included on their six-track debut extended play (EP), self-titled Blac Rabbit, which How Far Music released digitally on December 22, 2017.{{cite AV media notes|date=December 22, 2017|title=Blac Rabbit|others=Blac Rabbit|publisher=How Far Music}} A CD later became available on Bandcamp. The EP was recorded in the Taylors' and their manager's houses{{cite web|url=https://musicmecca.org/blog/mms-presents-rockaway-beachs-blac-rabbit/|title=MMS Presents: An Interview With Rockaway Beach's Blac Rabbit|last=Howard|first=Paul|date=February 28, 2018|work=Music Mecca|access-date=July 24, 2018}} and mixed by Rahiem.{{cite web|url=https://mountainx.com/arts/smart-bets-blac-rabbit/|title=Smart Bets: Blac Rabbit|last=Arnaudin|first=Edwin|date=June 19, 2018|work=Mountain Xpress|access-date=June 20, 2018}} As critic Olivia D'Orazio writes, "Hazy guitar riffs and rumbling bass are steadfast throughout the EP, and the echoey vocals whisk you from one song to another."{{cite web|url=http://razmatazmag.com/2018/blac-rabbits-debut-ep-is-all-good/|title=Bust through the winter blues with Blac Rabbit's debut EP|last=D'Orazio|first=Olivia|date=February 27, 2018|work=Raz Mataz Magazine|access-date=March 20, 2018}}
A recording of the Taylors playing the Beatles' "Eight Days a Week" received 3 million views on Twitter and 14 million on Facebook in February 2018.{{cite web|url=https://musicexistence.com/blog/2018/02/26/nyc-psych-rock-band-blac-rabbit-take-internet-by-storm-with-viral-beatles-cover/|title=NYC Psych Rock Band Blac Rabbit Take Internet By Storm With Viral Beatles Cover|last=Hutchings|first=John|work=Music Existence|date=February 26, 2018|access-date=March 19, 2018}} The viral online recognition increased the number of the band's Twitter followers from around 500 to 16,700 in two days. The band had to update its website due to traffic spurred by the 48-second video.
With more exposure, the band were able to perform outside the subway with bookings in music venues, eventually playing festivals in Berlin and Guatemala as well as New York City's Bowery Ballroom and the Knitting Factory.{{cite web|url=https://www.amny.com/entertainment/blac-rabbit-nyc-1.28651573|title=Rockaway Beach's Blac Rabbit to debut first studio album following viral fame|last=Rosenthal|first=Nicole|date=March 18, 2019|work=AM New York|access-date=March 28, 2019}} They also covered the Beatles' "Michelle" for a Gucci advertisement featuring Harry Styles.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/8459184/the-beatles-michelle-harry-styles-gucci-campaign|title=Harry Styles' Gucci Campaign Soundtracked by Blac Rabbit Cover of The Beatles' 'Michelle'|last=Milman|first=Lily|date=June 4, 2018|magazine=Billboard|access-date=March 28, 2019}} From June 15 to July 3, 2018, the band went on a 16-date tour of the East Coast.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=no8KvY98Km0|title=Blac Rabbit Spring 2018 North America Tour|publisher=YouTube|access-date=May 18, 2018|date=May 17, 2018|author=Blac Rabbit}} On early tour dates far from New York City, Rahiem later recalled, some audiences who had only seen the Taylors' Ellen appearance thought they were a cover band and asked for Beatles tunes, which they did sometimes use to end sets.{{sfn|Audiotree|2018|loc=12:10–13:10}} Amiri said their toughest crowd was in Montreal, where the audience had put on a "game face".{{sfn|Audiotree|2018|loc=26:05–26:25}}
On September 13, Blac Rabbit was the musical act at an event to promote the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus in New York City recreating the 1969 Bed-In For Peace. The band performed "Give Peace a Chance" alongside speakers including Yoko Ono, Ringo Starr, actor Jeff Bridges, and New York mayor Bill de Blasio; "it was so surreal in person," Amiri said.{{cite web|url=http://www.classichitsandoldies.com/v2/95598/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180914041949/http://www.classichitsandoldies.com/v2/95598/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=September 14, 2018|title=Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono take part in NYC "Bed-In" event to promote John Lennon Educational Tour Bus|date=September 13, 2018|work=Classic Hits and Oldies|publisher=WFJA|access-date=October 29, 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://gothamist.com/2018/09/13/jeff_bridges_yoko_ono_ringo_starr_bed_in.php#photo-1|title=Video: Jeff Bridges, Yoko Ono & Ringo Starr Stage Bed-In At City Hall|last=Yakas|first=Ben|date=September 13, 2018|work=Gothamist|access-date=October 29, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180914014256/http://gothamist.com/2018/09/13/jeff_bridges_yoko_ono_ringo_starr_bed_in.php#photo-1|archive-date=September 14, 2018|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://sandhillsexpress.com/abc_classicr/ringo-starr-yoko-ono-take-part-in-nyc-bedin-event-to-promote-john-lennon-educational-tour-bus-abcid36109829/|title=Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono take part in NYC "Bed-In" event to promote John Lennon Educational Tour Bus|date=September 13, 2018|publisher=ABC News Radio|access-date=October 29, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181030035544/http://sandhillsexpress.com/abc_classicr/ringo-starr-yoko-ono-take-part-in-nyc-bedin-event-to-promote-john-lennon-educational-tour-bus-abcid36109829/|archive-date=October 30, 2018|url-status=dead}} The Seize the Day Tour, Blac Rabbit's second concert tour of 2018, ran October 23 to November 10.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNLsTsllxaw|title=Blac Rabbit - Seize the Day Tour (Fall 2018)|author=Blac Rabbit|publisher=YouTube|date=October 15, 2018|access-date=October 29, 2018}} It was followed by a tour of Europe and the United Kingdom, ending on December 3 at the Beatles Story and The Cavern Club in Liverpool.{{cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/BqNQRPsgK3u/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/BqNQRPsgK3u |archive-date=2021-12-26 |url-access=registration|title=UK + Europe tour starting next week!!|author=Blac Rabbit|publisher=Instagram|date=November 15, 2018|access-date=November 22, 2018}}{{cbignore}} Summarizing their ascent from busking in the subway and "playing for audience of barely anyone" to booking larger venues and festivals, Amiri said: "I was scared ... All of that happened in one rush and it was just overnight."
=2018-present: ''Interstella''=
In 2018, the Taylors announced a new Blac Rabbit record titled Interstella.,{{sfn|Audiotree|2018|loc=26:30–26:45}} with its first single, "Seize the Day", being released on November 21, followed by "Windy Cities" on May 10, 2019. During the next year, keyboardist Justin Jagbir joined the band,{{cite web|url=https://www.blacrabbit.com/about.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328151153/https://www.blacrabbit.com/about.html|archive-date=March 28, 2019|title=About|publisher=Blac Rabbit|access-date=March 28, 2019|url-status=live}} playing with the band during the Interstella North America Tour from April 2 to May 18.{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/blacrabbitband/posts/interstella-tour-coming-to-a-north-american-city-near-you-get-your-tickets-vip-u/2326995834243025/|title=Interstella Tour - N. America|date=March 28, 2019|author=Blac Rabbit|publisher=Facebook|access-date=May 26, 2019}}
On the day of the 92nd Academy Awards in 2020, Blac Rabbit played Beatles covers at Charles Finch and Chanel's pre-Oscar party at the Polo Lounge in Beverly Hills.{{cite web|url=https://wwd.com/eye/parties/penelope-cruz-recalls-oscar-win-charles-finch-chanels-l-a-bash-1203470897/|title=Penélope Cruz Recalls Oscar Win at Charles Finch and Chanel's L.A. Bash|last=Chikhoune|first=Ryma|date=February 9, 2020|work=Women's Wear Daily|access-date=February 10, 2020}} Later that month (February 2020), the band launched a Kickstarter campaign for the Interstella album release.{{cite web |title=Blac Rabbit - Interstella Kickstarter Launches! |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8Kg_PnSHa4 |website=YouTube |access-date=9 March 2022}}
On March 8, 2022, Interstella was finally released on all streaming platforms, preceded by the singles "Hey Hey" and "Gave It Away".
Musical style
The Taylors describe their original music as psychedelic rock, influenced by the Beatles, Radiohead, 1980s music, and contemporaries MGMT, Tame Impala, and Toro y Moi.{{cite web|url=http://afropunk.com/2016/06/feature-psychedelic-rockers-blac-rabbit-spread-positive-vibes-with-dreamy-sun-soaked-single-all-good/|title=Psychedelic-Rockers Blac Rabbit Spread Positive Vibes with Dreamy, Sun-Soaked Single 'All Good'|last=White|first=Erin|date=June 9, 2016|publisher=Afropunk|access-date=March 19, 2018}}{{sfn|Audiotree|2018|loc=10:30–10:50}} Rahiem has said: "We just want to make wholesome, melodic, digestible but also very intelligent, deep, thought-provoking music," and he has noted the difficulty in balancing their love of the Beatles with forming Blac Rabbit's own identity.{{sfn|Audiotree|2018|loc=12:40–13:05}} The band performs both Beatles covers and original songs with a "vintage" sound.{{cite web|url=http://nyc.thedelimagazine.com/30843/psych-rockers-blac-rabbit-play-union-pool-on-0730|title=Psych rockers Blac Rabbit play Union Pool on 7.30|date=July 27, 2017|work=The Deli|access-date=March 19, 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://www.musicfestnews.com/2017/07/rock-away-music-fest-highlights-the-musical-renaissance-taking-place-in-this-new-york-community/|title=Rock! Away! Music Fest Highlights the Musical Renaissance Taking Place in this New York Community|last=O'Malley|first=Jen|date=July 26, 2017|website=musicfestnews.com|access-date=March 19, 2018}}
Afropunk contributor Erin White wrote, "Their music has all of the positivity and optimism of an LSD trip with none of the existential dread." According to José Heinz of La Voz del Interior, the band is "as indebted to the sounds of the '60s as to this era's New York scene".{{cite web|url=http://vos.lavoz.com.ar/musica/blac-rabbit-ahora-en-el-subte-nos-reconocen-mucho-mas|title=Blac Rabbit: "Ahora en el subte nos reconocen mucho más"|work=La Voz del Interior|last=Heinz|first=José|date=March 1, 2018|access-date=March 19, 2018|language=es}} The band's EP fuses surf and psychedelic music, with some tracks tinged by funk. The Taylors' vocals, doused with reverb, have drawn comparison to those of Tame Impala.
Discography
=Studio albums=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ List of studio albums ! scope="col" style="width:12em;" | Title ! scope="col" style="width:20em;" | Album details |
| scope="row" style="height:6em;" | Interstella
|
|
|---|
=Extended plays=
=Singles=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
|+ List of singles as lead artist ! scope="col" style="width:12em;"| Title ! scope="col" style="width:2em;"| Year ! scope="col" style="width:12em;"| Album |
| scope="row" | "Seize the Day"{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/seize-the-day-single/1443417924|title=Seize the Day - Single by Blac Rabbit on iTunes|date=November 21, 2018|publisher=iTunes|access-date=November 22, 2018}}
| 2018 | rowspan="2" | Interstella |
|---|
| scope="row" | "Windy Cities"{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/windy-cities-single/1460735550|title=Windy Cities - Single by Blac Rabbit on iTunes|date=May 10, 2019|publisher=iTunes|access-date=May 26, 2019}}
| 2019 |
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
Works cited
- {{cite web|url=https://audiotree.tv/session/blac-rabbit|title=Blac Rabbit|date=June 21, 2018|publisher=Audiotree|access-date=July 24, 2018|ref={{SfnRef|Audiotree|2018}}}}
Further reading
- {{cite web|url=https://www.browardpalmbeach.com/music/things-to-do-in-west-palm-beach-blac-rabbit-at-respectable-street-november-4-9981667|title=Meet Blac Rabbit, a Brooklyn Psych Band Co-Fronted by "Mirror Twins"|last=Hardee|first=Howard|date=October 23, 2018|work=New Times Broward-Palm Beach}}