KILL the RABBiT

The guys in Kill the Rabbit were sick as dogs on Whammy night, but you'd never know it. When local disc jockey Jason Lee and Three Rivers Festival Executive Director Jack Hammer announced that KTR won the Whammy for Best Hard Rock CD Release for their debut album, Pieces, they jumped up as if nothing were amiss, and, having given a few shout-outs to their fans and Dan Middleton at Digitracks (who produced the album), immediately began hugging everyone in sight -- their Derby Girl escort, Hammer, Lee, me.

It was the first time I think a rock n' roll band almost brought a tear to my eye. They look so tough on stage, but they were genuinely moved by the whole thing. It was their first Whammy after all.

"When we got that call, we were stunned for a minute," said frontman and master of the skinny jean Scotty Hayes. "We didn't know what to say. Marc and I hadn't prepared anything. We were just kind of like, 'Uh, wow ...'"

So imagine how they felt when, at the end of the evening, their name was called for the Performer of the Year Whammy.

"We were so excited. I'm still excited," Hayes said. "I'm as giddy as a schoolgirl."

Speaking of giddy schoolgirls, when Kill the Rabbit followed their Performer of the Year acceptance with a 20-minute set that practically blew the doors off the place (and Piere's has some strong doors), the women in the audience seemed to shed 10-20 years. They were all in middle and high school again, staring up at the stage with worshipping eyes and singing along with their arms ceiling-ward.

"That's why we do what we do," Hayes said. "It really touches us to see our fans singing our own songs back to us. I don't think it gets better than that."

It very well might get better than that for KTR, who not only took top honors at this year's whatzup Battle of the Bands and had the pleasure of covering Tom Petty at Down the Line 5 at the Embassy, but now have the joy of seeing Pieces on the shelves at Best Buy stores all over Ohio, Indiana and Michigan. They've even got a gig at the Chicago's iconic Elbow Room in May.

"It's been a great year," Hayes said. "A really great year."

Especially when you consider the fact that KTR originally formed in 1993. Primarily a cover band, they broke up about four years later and didn't really reunite until 2008. A foursome at that time with Hayes on vocals, Marc Baker on bass, Sheridan Lippy on drums and Bob Finger on guitar, they made it to round two of BOTB.

Then came 2009. Finger left to pursue other projects, and Tony Gardner and Mike "Patch" Adams joined on lead and rhythm guitars, respectively. It turned out to be the beginning of big things. They entered the Battle of the Bands and won handily. Then, two months later, Pieces came out to great fanfare. Soon KTR were booked every weekend everywhere.

It'd be enough to give lots of guys a big head, but the members of Kill the Rabbit are famously humble. They're also great admirers of the Fort Wayne music scene.

"The nominees that night are all fantastic bands and good guys," Hayes said. "We love Krimsha. Krimsha are the real deal, man. I love their music, and we've been honored to be classed with them a lot. And Teays Vein. Wow. All those hard rockers. They're awesome."

The future is looking bright for Hayes and his mates, and, to steal the title from arguably their most popular song, there's a good chance no mister will ever condescend to them again. It's almost as if they can do no wrong in this town. They might, however, want to tone down their affectionate natures. The sickness on Whammy night might, Hayes said, have been preventable.

"Our girlfriend's drummer said we should probably stop kissing each other all the time. Maybe she's right."" (Deborah Kennedy)
- WHATZUP - Entertainment Magazine - Deb Kennedy -Copyright 2011 Ad Media Inc.

The guys in Kill the Rabbit were sick as dogs on Whammy night, but you'd never know it. When local disc jockey Jason Lee and Three Rivers Festival Executive Director Jack Hammer announced that KTR won the Whammy for Best Hard Rock CD Release for their debut album, Pieces, they jumped up as if nothing were amiss, and, having given a few shout-outs to their fans and Dan Middleton at Digitracks (who produced the album), immediately began hugging everyone in sight -- their Derby Girl escort, Hammer, Lee, me.

It was the first time I think a rock n' roll band almost brought a tear to my eye. They look so tough on stage, but they were genuinely moved by the whole thing. It was their first Whammy after all.

"When we got that call, we were stunned for a minute," said frontman and master of the skinny jean Scotty Hayes. "We didn't know what to say. Marc and I hadn't prepared anything. We were just kind of like, 'Uh, wow ...'"

So imagine how they felt when, at the end of the evening, their name was called for the Performer of the Year Whammy.

"We were so excited. I'm still excited," Hayes said. "I'm as giddy as a schoolgirl."

Speaking of giddy schoolgirls, when Kill the Rabbit followed their Performer of the Year acceptance with a 20-minute set that practically blew the doors off the place (and Piere's has some strong doors), the women in the audience seemed to shed 10-20 years. They were all in middle and high school again, staring up at the stage with worshipping eyes and singing along with their arms ceiling-ward.

"That's why we do what we do," Hayes said. "It really touches us to see our fans singing our own songs back to us. I don't think it gets better than that."

It very well might get better than that for KTR, who not only took top honors at this year's whatzup Battle of the Bands and had the pleasure of covering Tom Petty at Down the Line 5 at the Embassy, but now have the joy of seeing Pieces on the shelves at Best Buy stores all over Ohio, Indiana and Michigan. They've even got a gig at the Chicago's iconic Elbow Room in May.

"It's been a great year," Hayes said. "A really great year."

Especially when you consider the fact that KTR originally formed in 1993. Primarily a cover band, they broke up about four years later and didn't really reunite until 2008. A foursome at that time with Hayes on vocals, Marc Baker on bass, Sheridan Lippy on drums and Bob Finger on guitar, they made it to round two of BOTB.

Then came 2009. Finger left to pursue other projects, and Tony Gardner and Mike "Patch" Adams joined on lead and rhythm guitars, respectively. It turned out to be the beginning of big things. They entered the Battle of the Bands and won handily. Then, two months later, Pieces came out to great fanfare. Soon KTR were booked every weekend everywhere.

It'd be enough to give lots of guys a big head, but the members of Kill the Rabbit are famously humble. They're also great admirers of the Fort Wayne music scene.

"The nominees that night are all fantastic bands and good guys," Hayes said. "We love Krimsha. Krimsha are the real deal, man. I love their music, and we've been honored to be classed with them a lot. And Teays Vein. Wow. All those hard rockers. They're awesome."

The future is looking bright for Hayes and his mates, and, to steal the title from arguably their most popular song, there's a good chance no mister will ever condescend to them again. It's almost as if they can do no wrong in this town. They might, however, want to tone down their affectionate natures. The sickness on Whammy night might, Hayes said, have been preventable.

"Our girlfriend's drummer said we should probably stop kissing each other all the time. Maybe she's right." (Deborah Kennedy)


- WHATZUP- Entertainment Magazine - (Deborah Kennedy)

Awesome is as Awesome plays, and these guys can play”

“KTR Brought the Battle of The Bands to a close with a Seven-Song original set of power ballads and Rock anthems that whipped their fans into a fine frenzy.
- Deb Kennedy

It’s been a big year for Kill the Rabbit. The band has been booked solid for most of 2010, playing shows nearly every weekend as local tavern owners discover KTR’s rabid fan base and how that fan base likes to party. They won this year’s whatzup Battle of the Bands, and now, to top it off, they have released their debut album, Pieces.
Recorded and mixed at Digitracks Recording Studio in Fort Wayne, Pieces is a solid collection of songs that combine good old-fashioned rock with crunchy metal riffs and a pop sensibility. It starts off with the burning title track and “Nervous Breakdown,” serving notice that KTR are serious about their music. Akin to a fresh take on Hollywood Vampires-era L.A.Guns, these songs are just what the doctor ordered. I can’t think of any band in the area playing this type of user-friendly rock. “Mr. Condesending,” the standout track on the disc, is good enough to get the band signed to a label if the tune gets into the right people’s hands, and “Flee” shows the band rocking a little harder. It’s not unlike something you’d hear on a Seether or Shinedown release. 
While most of the songs on Pieces prove that KTR can rock out with the best, the band also manages to throw in a few emotional ballads. “Your Song” and “Voices” give the album some equilibrium, while the instrumental “Invincible” finishes the disc with a staggering display of musical dexterity.
Pieces might be Kill the Rabbit’s debut CD, but it doesn’t sound like your usual run-of-the-mill, recorded-in-a-basement release. The production is superior, and this band has been seasoned through years of playing together and with other local bands. KTR produce music like a polished, talented machine, reaching a maturity in their music that is missing from a lot of today’s bands. - Copyright 2010 Ad Media Inc.