33 Memories of the White Stripes

1. "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground", the second time around, while walking through Center City Philadelphia.

2. Desperately trying to get a ticket to the Hammerstein Ballroom show with Loretta Lynn and some opening act named Blanche and joining an Internet message board in a last ditch effort to get one. And willing to take an Amtrak train to get there too.

3. Going to a Flaming Lips concert on the chance that they would show up, coming from the New York show. I became a fan of the Flaming Lips in the process.

4. Leaving friends behind, racing home in a cab, to catch night 4 on Conan just because I didn't trust the VCR to work.

5. The event of buying Elephant.

6. Finally seeing them for the first time, at Roseland Ballroom, the night Jack cursed out "frat fuckers" for moshing on unwilling people. Also learning that Jack purposefully leaves his guitar feedbacking on the amp to deafen the audience.

6. Jack answering my question regarding the above mentioned "Frat fuckers" - this was the first response to anything I've written and also the last response to be civil.

7. The day "Blue Orchid" came out and I told everyone this was the wrong mp3, this was actually the new Prince record, and really meaning it.

8. Beginning a steady string of internet crushes, bonding over the band, resulting in one lifelong friendship and one nearly 2-year romantic relationship with a married woman that went off the internet and into real life.

9. The endless numbing hours posting excessive comments on the board and having an entire life on there that wound up having almost nothing to do with the band except when things happened and Jack got mad.

10. The tiny-record single and tiny-player fiasco - the first time Jack accused fans of being disloyal.

11. The birth of the Raconteurs and the wristband process to see them at Tower Records - the second time Jack accused fans of being disloyal. A relative's letter.

12. Meeting the born again christian woman, whom I credit myself with converting to atheism, at the first Coney Island concert. Meeting her then-husband and little children. The woman eventually became an atheist celebrity, went on Nightline to fight Kirk Cameron, left that movement behind, and became a porn star. This is all true.

13. Dirtblanche: Two bands whose fan bases extended -in part- in having something to do with the Stripes, who sound nothing alike, who played together one night in Cleveland.

14. Delia

15. The time one of Jack's brothers told me not to bother with trying to be a voice-over actor.

16. That girl with the very weird hair with one of the brothers and...gah.

17. The time I saved Tracee Mae from a pervert who wanted to harass her. That pervert eventually got married to someone and seemed OK.

18. THE video.

19. The scandal of owning that unreleased documentary that included footage of the Bowery Ballroom shows, Jack pissing in the street, and Meg watching porn.

20. "New York Confuses Me"

21. The Irving Plaza Concert Part 1 - the hilarity of the pre-show. New York "It's all good" vs. Midwest Internet Delusions.

22. The Irving Plaza Concert Part 2 - the security guard from the Elvis Costello show who remembered me and was happy to see me.

23. The Irving Plaza Concert Part 3 - the concert itself. Black Jack Davey.

24. The Irving Plaza Concert Part 4 - the alley, after the show. "I know you - asshole."

25. The MSG Show - the ultimate moment of success, only to be upstaged by Nick Cave.

26. Back to wristbandgate: waiting on the line, a woman coming up to me to tell me she is a big fan of mine and the comments I've written on the fan site, and she is glad to just say hello.

27. The night I thought I just happened to come across the Raconteurs playing a fashion show and instead it turned into Jack thinking we were following his van. HEY! Pick a different street to drive! I was trying to get to the subway! Punk.

28. The whole I-only-know-the-Dirtbombs-because-of-them thing.

29. Feeling almost coldly indifferent to the reunion on Conan's last Late Night.

30. After all the success, and all those who got to enjoy the ride, and ironically after my own scoffing - it was just me and the Greenhornes one night in New Jersey. Fitting.

31. When they were on the MTV Awards, and Meg mumbled something, and my sister said "They're weird".

32. The first time Jack referred to himself as president of a corporation, when a dopey Chicago DJ played a record too early.

33. $80 for a .45 7" record - and it would have been at least $250 if the seller hadn't only advertised it as a Dirtbombs single. Clever.

33A: Two Words - Arthur Dottweiler

Rumors of the White Stripes Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated...

...by me...in private conversations.

Stereogum obviously doesn't know all the details of the last half-year or so, but this latest episode is just more proof that the White Stripes are not only not finished, but that the band - and most importantly here, Jack - seem to have made amends with the city from which they came.

The Raconteurs; The BlackLips @ Terminal 5

The Raconteurs; The Black Lips
@ Terminal 5
New York, NY - May 31, 2008

Is it me? Maybe it's me. Sure, the new record is one bit of awful but why should that affect the live show? These are the Raconteurs after all, this is Jack White after all. Whether it did or not, it was bad. Bad bad. All those little things that signify a Jack White show - the between-song pounding, the ins and outs and ins again of songs, etc etc was annoying. They even looked annoying. Obviously, the venue didn't help with its stifled sound and ridiculous set up.

The Black Lips are the most overrated band in America. They cannot play. And not in that punk aesthetic sort of way. They just can't play. Their songs that sound good on record still sound good live but we're talking about a handful of songs like "Bad Kids", "Oh Katrina", and "Make It". Otherwise, they are pretty damn bad.

Maybe it's me.

Consolers of the Lonely: The Pennypacker Perspective

To be done in the style of a Donald Rumsfeld monologue:

Is the sophomore album by the supergroup known as the Raconteurs good? No. What's wrong with it? Almost everything. Is it really that different from the first album though? Sure and not in good ways. How so? The first album was a delicious little slice of 70's power pop, classic rock hits, and sweet, simple balladry while this album is a big, heapin' chunk of AOR filler. Could I be more specific than that? Sure - the vocals sound bored and dull, the power chords are lost in some kind of a panoply of mush, the song structures just aren't where they should be. Is this the end of the Raconteurs? No of course not - I know you read this and think "henny penny, the sky is falling" but look - mistakes were made, words were said, it takes two to lie, one to lie and one to listen but there is almost no doubt that when heard live these songs will sound better - "Five on the Five" sounded excellent when it was performed during the first album tour. Is anything on this album worth listening to? The first half of "Salute Your Salution" is pretty much on target and "Hold Up" is as good as the album gets. Is that it? The middle third of the record actually holds up OK but it is bookended by such trifle that it doesn't really matter. Is it possible I may like this album someday? Anything is possible - just like loving an album on the first couple listens may eventually lead to hating it down the road or liking some parts and hating other parts of an album may switch - the problem with album critiques is that they are read as being a constant, never accounting for the possibility of a change of mind somewhere down the road. Is this the worst music Jack White has ever been involved with? Almost - he did produce Whirlwind Heat's first record and well, while a free people are free to do whatever they want, like looting, that's just one bit of music that is probably just unforgivable and I think the American people understand that. Thank you for coming.

The Raconteurs Announce Next Album...One Week Before Release

Gotta give it to 'em (Check the news section). In order to put a stop the time honored tradition of leaks, early listens, early reviews, and the general idea of "build up" (and the modern addition of spoiling build up though said leaks and such), the Rac attack have announced the sudden release of their new record, Consolers of the Lonely, just within the last couple hours. The album is out a week from tomorrow in all legal, available formats in stores and online.

This is kind of neat, a little variation on Radiohead's experimentation with new ways to release music in this digital, pirate age. BUT - it wouldn't be a Jack White thingamabob without some sort of long winded, proud explanation, once again ol' Jackie standing on a soapbox and shouting something or other. I'm just ribbing the guy. He cares about something. It's cute.

But whatever - new Raconteurs album. Suddenly. How Exciting.

Also suddenly exciting...(see next post)...

Grammytone News!

• Never really into Hip Hop as a whole, certainly never into techno as a whole but damn, that Kanye/Daft Punk collab was the performance of the night.
• Amy Winehouse was not only respectable in her performance, her acceptance speech was actually thrilling. London! Rockbuster Clue: What did the vineyard owner say to the robber? "Hey! Me wine house!"
• Missed Feist but caught the Foo Fighters: this is why the Grammys stink. Even with Jason Bateman calling out the "idiots" for not knowing who John Paul Jones is.
  
• But this is why rock n' roll is the greatest: Fogerty with Little Richard and the Killer dwarfs all the unnecessary Beatles love tonight.
  
• Stripes went 2 for 4, winning Best Alternative Album and Best Rock Single by a Band. They lost the award for packaging for their USB key. Next year, for the brand new Best Merchandise Award, they'll be sure to win.
• Mainstream country music has been garbage for years but Vince Gill has always been one of the more appealing personalities and he proved it tonight for taking it to Mr. West, all in good fun.
• Barack Obama went 5 for 5 this weekend against the Clintons. He swept Washington state, Louisiana, Nebraska, and Maine over Hillary. Then he bested Bill for the Best Spoken Word Album Grammy.
• ART BRUT COMMERCIAL.
  
• I really don't get Kanye's need for recognition from the industry. Is this a gimmick?
  
• Best Album: not a shock after all. Kanye and Winehouse splitting it up all night, so split the difference and give it (as they usually do) to a legend. More Obama-rama: Herbie wins minutes after Will.I.Am's little thing, whatever that was, and of course Mr. Hancock was in Will's Obama-video. "Yes We Can" indeed.

So in summation:

Recent Radio Highlights

Jack White on NPR's Morning Edition discussing "Conquest", among other things.

Au Revoir Simone on Fair Game

Carrie Brownstein analyzes the Presidential candidates' use of songs

Juno

Several months ago, there was a defense of the Era of Quirk on this blog. But lo and behold, just a few months later, that defense has been softened by the failings at the heart of Juno. Between the oh so cute animated (of sorts) opening sequence (something that appears is or will be director Jason Reitman's stock-in-trade) to the mind numbingly relentless witticisms poured on by stripper-turned-screenwriter Diablo Cody (I hate that quirky name), Juno - to borrow from Midge Simpson - doesn't just cross the line, it throws up on it. How quirky is Juno? It's Knocked Up for the hipster set. How hipster is Juno? The White Stripes not only get mentioned in the film, but Jack White gets made fun of.

Awful film, right? Nope. Despite the early onset quirk overload, and the beyond excessive use of "dude", Juno is one of the best films of the year. Reitman stewards the ship better than he did his first feature, the still fine Thank You For Smoking, and he is able to seam a valid look at teenage pregnancy, even through the eyes of a too-smart-for-her-own-good little hip Indie chick. Cody's love of punk, Indie, and all things good music - from Mott the Hoople and the Stooges to the Melvins and beyond, in conjunction with the fantastic soundtrack anchored by Kimya Dawson, make Juno the rock movie of the year and the Indie cred music movie of the year.

(The issue of abortion and the decisions made by the characters in Juno and Knocked Up will not be dwelled on here because...well...would you want to touch that one?)

But above all, the acting carries the film. Ellen Page was already exceptionally good in the disturbing Hard Candy (but admittedly forgettable in the last X-Men movie as this writer had to be reminded she was in it, and prominently at that). In Juno however, she soars, literally leaps over a career's work of evolution, and is instantly the actress of her generation. Her inherent warmth saves the character from being a stripped-down, soulless machine of one-liners and boring old teenage angst. She's surrounded by a crackerjack ensemble, most notably the veteran character actor J.K. Simmons, in arguably his biggest role to date, and his biggest departure from the usual rabble of toughies he's known to play. It's always, always, satisfying to see a long time supporting player get to have a moment and this is it for Simmons. Juno reunites two of the actors from the best network sitcom of the decade, Arrested Development: Jason Bateman and Michael Cera, the latter of whom already made a winner this year in Superbad. Bateman has so far departed from his teenage acting days it's not even something to reflect on anymore. He's an actor. End of story. Cera may be treading on a one-note style of acting but here he shows a little more depth and range, despite his incessant (though always charming) Cera-ness. If he was better in Superbad, it's only because he was crowded here. Allison Janney never falters and she brings a lot to the unique role of a stepmom who not only means well, but does well and there is little if any time wasted on conventional step-parent fodder. Hell, even Jennifer Garner is good in this thing and that's saying something. The few other teen characters in the film are also all played well despite the fact they are given the remainder of Cody's blather that the Juno character doesn't have to speak.

Amazing how so much can be written about a very good but not perfect film whereas the perfect No Country for Old Men consisted of a one-line review. But that's just how it is. A wordy movie gets a wordy review and an austere, stoic, breath of cinema gets a terse one. For all the love one may have for Juno MacGuff, it's muted by a single shotgun blast from Anton Chigurh. Chigurh 1, Juno 0. Sorry, kid.

Next up: There Will Be Blood. If anyone can stop Chigurh, it must certainly be Daniel Plainview. Or so THEY all say. We shall see...

Walk Hard trailer and pics

One of the longest trailers in history is finally out for Walk Hard, the seemingly scene-for-scene (with extra) parody of Walk the Line - which didn't strike me as a movie that entered the public consciousness so strongly that it merited such an ode.

I have to say, that guy playing Elvis did better in that little clip than he did in all of Cold Mountain.

Having the girl from the American version of The Office seems to be the best for this thing right now...all it needs is a little Elvis Costello.

Ten Years and Ten Days of Le Rouge, Le Blanc, and Le Noir: The White Stripes

The White Stripes (with Grinderman, Porter Wagoner)
@ Madison Square Garden
New York, NY - July 24, 2007

Ten years and ten days after 2 kids who nearly called themselves the Peppermints played 3 songs at the Gold Dollar in Detroit, Michigan, the White Stripes headlined a show at Madison Square Garden. Some could argue it was a double bill, even a triple bill, considering the weight and respect behind the first two acts, but at the end of the day it was the White Stripes atop the marquee, and it was they who brought upwards of 15,000-20,000 people to the Garden on a Tuesday night. It was they who brought the usual rabble of hipsters, punks, metal heads, frat boys, and classic rockers, tweens, teens, twenty-somethings, thirty-somethings, forty-somethings, and beyond. It was they who played for those who only knew "Seven Nation Army" and those who thought "Fell In Love With The Girl" was the signal that they had sold out. For those who thought Get Behind Me Satan was a classic and those who hated its very existence. And for those who think Icky Thump is the triumph of their aluminum anniversary.

A long way away from that Bastille Day last century, and a month removed from the greatest performance this writer has possibly ever seen by any band ever, the Stripes had a tough task before them. The acoustics of the Garden proved challenging to their sound, at least to those who have heard them in smaller places. They had to appease the most vanilla, mainstream, widespread crowd they've arguably ever attracted, while sticking to their signature ethic and etiquette. They more or less succeeded, but something was amiss - it wasn't firing on all cylinders. The band played well, in fact they played perfectly, but they didn't sound their best. It may have been beyond their control, in fact it probably was, but when even "Ball and Biscuit", the last song before the encore and when this writer left, doesn't sound like the best performance ever, it's not the White Stripes' greatest concert performance.

(This is the encore I missed: Blue Orchid // I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself // Little Ghost // We're Going To Be Friends // Little Bird -> Catch Hell Blues [DAMN!] // My Doorbell // Seve Nation Army // Boll Weevil)

Intriguingly, it was the first time I heard and saw Jack play songs straight through and move on to the next one. No stopping short, no returns, no medleys. It was as if Jack felt he had to give the arena crowd a straight up arena show. And while in the past this writer poo-poo'ed the frequent medleys because it would cut off some of the best songs, I sort of missed it this time. "Don't know what you got till it's gone", a hair metal band once sang and it's true.

Highlights included "Canon" and "Slowly Turning Into You" the latter of which may have been the best song of the night, especially aided by the lights show. But what was up with that elevated platform? Jack only went up there once during the main set, to strut across for a few seconds. We should have at least been treated to an Angus shuffle.

But above all, this night was about reflections, remembrances, nostalgia, and ultimately, looking to the future. Having just seen them play their most intimiate New York show in years, and hearing and reading all about those special "secret" shows for Canadians these last few weeks, the past and future of the White Stripes and their fans collided and exploded at Madison Square Garden. Having reached the pinnacle of rock n roll stardom (at least for this diffuse day and age), the White Stripes really can't go any further. They sit atop the rock n roll temple as the most respected critics band to be equally popular with the trend setters, the die hard rock n roll snobs, and the mainstream audience. They sit atop that temple with the Steeple of Jack White firmly in place as the man of the hour, of his generation, and all the good and all the baggage that comes with it.

Five years ago, this writer caught wind of "Fell In Love With The Girl" and over the course of a few months, the White Stripes took over as the band and they haven't really relinquished that spot. Perhaps it is because they are new and regenerate themselves with new records, perhaps it is because they are the nexus of blues, country, punk, rock n roll. For whatever reason, they are the top special. They are responsible for this writer seeing pretty much every single band he has seen over the last five years and every record he has bought. They are responsible for much in the way of personal affairs, private life changing things, and all the good and all the baggage that comes with that. That is some unknown burden (or is it unknown?) for a rock band to have. Especially for just a duo with a really hot drummer.

It's been quite a road traveled. From those 3 songs at the Gold Dollar, to the Great Biographical Lie, to the MTV Movie Awards, to the Pre-Tour Video, to the Hammerstein Ballroom with Loretta Lynn and Blanche, to jamming with Mick Collins on "Rated X", to those shows with the Strokes, to those four nights at the Bowery Ballroom, to a week's residency at Conan, to a Grammy Performance that blew the world away, to the internet message board that has stirred up lives and emotions not just of fans but of the band itself, to headlining Glastonbury, to being on The Simpsons, to playing every Canadian province and territory and every American state in one tour, including a one-note hullabaloo on the streets of a Podunk Canadian provincial capital, and one night with Nick Cave and Porter Wagoner at Madison Square Garden, this is a road not taken by any other band - neither popular nor respected.

When Jack sings about redheaded girls he shouldn't kiss, this sums it all up. Everything. From the 3 songs on Bastille Day to Madison Square Garden. People, places, actions, comments, scraps, babies, all of it. It's a sign that some things will probably be forever broken and never repaired, that things have to change for better or worse, that nothing ever lasts, that the circle opens and closes. People move on, people stay, there will be loyalty and gratitude (as assuredly as death, taxes, wristbands, and inchapones), and there will be drama. One could - and should - say that "it should just be about the music" and nothing else should matter. But eventually, even in this sometimes absurd road traveled, those things around the music become the music. And though it is not consequential enough for someone on the outside to look into, think of the survey of the land, of this inexorable relationship between this band and its fans, between this band and their peers who share the same fans, and the fact that some fans become more than fans...blame (or credit) the internet for it, blame (or credit) - or at least question - the mental health of all involved, bands and fans alike, take it all in, and map that road from 3 songs at the Gold Dollar to Madison Square Garden.

Is it time to look for the exit ramp?

Get It On!

Grinderman (with the White Stripes, Porter Wagoner)
@ Madison Square Garden
New York, NY - July 24, 2007

There were boos. Lots of boos. In the bathroom, some frat jock asshole said he wanted to find Nick Cave on the street and stomp his face in. People complained that the filthy, raunchy blues-psychedelic hard jam of the band wasn't tough enough, perhaps because Nick never fulfilled the legitimacy of a million jock frat boys' dreams of assaulting someone and getting arrested. The people around this writer did not even know who Nick Cave was, let alone Grinderman.

In short, Grinderman stole the show.

Grinderman doesn't play music to have sex by. It's music to fuck by. Dirty, grimy, full of muck and smell - Cave and his cabal are not here to mess around. Hanky-panky is for the weak. Unlike their fellow acts of the night, Grinderman's music fit the acoustics of the big joint, reverberating off the walls with an unmatched ferocity. "Get It On", "No Pussy Blues", and something called "When My Loves Comes Down To You" or something like that, particularly displayed this piledriving rock n roll. "Don't Set Me Free" was another highlight. But it wouldn't be Nick Cave without some depth. There are meanings behind at least some of these songs, which is probably what threw the barbarians in the crowd for a loop. Philistines try to ruin everything.
More thumpish (yes that word) than the record, live Grinderman seems to be right at home in the thunderous arena of the Garden, but would also be right at home on a Saturday night at the Roseland. Book them now. And then go screw.

Hey Porter, Hey Porter!

Porter Wagoner (with The White Stripes, Grinderman)
@ Madison Square Garden
July 24, 2007

The grand ole country legend from nowheres, Missouri - who was the yang (or yin) to Dolly Parton's yin (or yang), got to play at the big old Madison Square Garden. And while it is a little disturbing to hear an old country legend essentially say he's honored to open for Jack White, the Wagonmaster did everything in fine style. Nudie suit in tow, Porter was backed by another venerable country musician, Marty Stuart and a band of good ol' boys. True hillbilly foot-stompin' at times, the rump of the short set consisted of those standard slow country laments which, if you are not a big fan of, did nothing to convert you. But on a night of both nostalgia, reflections, and looking ahead, it was a great way to start the show. This writer was once the only 11 year old in Brooklyn who liked country music and knew who Marty Stuart was (but admittedly only knew of Porter, not by name, as "the old guy Dolly worked with"). It was a nice trip down a very narrow memory lane.

On The Go

The Go
@ Pianos
New York, NY - June 30, 2007

This one was for pure curious nostalgia. Who were/are the guys that had Jack White toiling around with them back in the late 90's, who were profiled in an early roughly designed Detroit doc but who never again seemed to perform, tour, or cavort with the other Motor City bands on a regular basis? And how fitting it is that they arrive in New York smacked right in between the 2 Stripes shows?
Essentially a bar band, the guys in the Go have a penchant for 60's psychadelic folk-pop, but of course put through a little bit of the Detroit garage ringer. If they had toured more often a couple years ago, coming through in 2003-2005 when a ton of D-town bands were frequenting the Big Apple, they'd have stood out and offered an alternative approach to the majority of 3-chord peers. But now they just seem a little off. Some songs are quite good, others are meandering, others have the right set-up but break-up on follow through. Nevertheless, it was pleasant taking one last non-Dirtbombs, non-Blanche meta-trip to the Detroit garage (it would have been a longer trip if I had seen the Paybacks open for Joan Jett on Thursday), which was fine considering the word "pleasant" isn't a word really associated with that city's music anymore, in good ways and bad.

Morissey Is Out, The Go Are In

Poor, sickly Morrissey had to postpone his MSG gig for tonight but as an alternative, it turns out that the Go are playing New York for the first time that I can recall (but I'm sure they've played here before). They'll be at Pianos.

Speaking of the Go, their former band member is having a heck of a time in the Great White North, and it looks like he's commissioned a documentary to record the goings on, as I hoped for.

Return to Red

The White Stripes; Citizens' Band
@ The Fillmore at Irving Plaza
New York, NY - June 19, 2007

Greatest Day Before My Birthday Present Ever, the most intimate New York White Stripes show since the Bowery Ballroom in 2002, five years in the making, Jack and Meg White return with Icky Thump and a sense of "back to basics" that every durable band goes through. Get Behind Me Satan indeed, the Stripes were in their early years red, the stage was bathed in red, there was very little white or black to be found, and only for this band could the aesthetic matter so much. It matters so much because it affects the intensity. The lavishness of GBMS went hand in hand with the bizarre and at times lounging sounds of that record but with this return to the original aesthetic, the Stripes unleashed a torrent, a fury, of hard blues and rock n roll. Even the rare ballad or shuffle-friendly ditty sounded full of tenacity.
Meg White has never been better at the drums, and while that doesn't mean she's doing more than she's ever done before, she's doing it with the most intensity she has ever had. Jack sang with his heart entirely in it, with no messing around, except for a few odd rambles about Spin Magazine, drinking a latte in different locations of New York, Yonkers, and an incident at a camp with a squirrel when he was a kid. But what's the brother supposed to do, he's Samoan somewhat insane.
The new songs, from what I could make out (I haven't listened to the album yet), are fine. Some sound a little uninspired but it's not even a detraction. The Stripes catalog was in full force, and the crowd loved every minute of it. Listening to the pre-show requests to stay calm, the crowd was as intense and excited a New York crowd I have seen that didn't go totally off their hinges. It may have just been my perception, but it seemed that the crowd elicited its biggest reactions to the 2 GBMS songs that were played...which is kind of disturbing. But nevertheless, the crowd was a wake-up call: the Stripes are big. Big big. And for all the notoriety of the online-centered community that follows the Stripes every step of the way, it is clear that there are thousands upon thousands of silent, unspoken mega fans who wait their turn till the band comes around again. This silent majority is the reason the Stripes have sneaked into the popular consciousness - as it can be defined for them in this kind of age. For such a fractured, diverse, society, for a rock n roll band to elicit this kind of intensity, this kind of loyalty, this kind of supremacy (and at the risk of hyperbole, yes "supremacy" is the right word), it is a testament to their craft, particularly to Jack who is writing songs and playing guitar at a rate and an accuracy that needs no sense of relative measurement, it is just monumentally on its own. But even more particularly to Meg, whose sole task is to make sure that Jack delivers the White Stripes to the people each time he decides to do so.

And yet I thought there were no words to describe it all.

Setlist (via Stereogum and Modern Age):
01 "When I Hear My Name"
02 "Dead Leaves"
03 "Icky Thump"
04 "Cannon"
05 "John The Revelator"
06 "My Doorbell"
07 "I’m Slowly Turning Into You"
08 "Jolene" (cut short)
09 "Hotel Yorba"
10 "I Think I Smell A Rat" (Jack teases "Misirlou")
11 "Effect And Cause"
12 "Apple Blossom"
13 "Same Boy You’ve Always Known"
14 "Catch Hell Blues"
15 "St. James Infirmary Blues"
16 "Cold, Cold Night"
17 "I Want to be the Boy to Warm Your Mother’s Heart"
18 "You’ve Got Her In Your Pocket"
19 "Astro"
20 "Union Forever" (lyric tease to "Little Cream Soda")
++ Jack's caffeinated NYC sightseeing day*
21 "Blackjack Davey"
22 "Black Math"
23 "Let's Build A Home"
----
23 "Blue Orchid"
++ Jack's squirrely standup#
24 "A Martyr For My Love For You"
25 "I Don't Know What To Do With Myself"
26 "Ball And A Biscuit"
27 "Bo Weevil"

Citizens' Band are an extremely large collective (I counted about 15 or 16 on stage at their peak) who blend Moulin Rouge, Cabaret, and Broadway into their theatrics. It may not be a rock n roll opener, but it certainly set the tone for the night, that this is New York and - as cliche as it is to say it is cliche - anything can happen. The fact that Jack's wife Karen Elson is a singer in this thing should be noted. The fact that she is a good singer should also be noted.
I doubt they will be opening for the Stripes elsewhere, which made it all the more special.

Photo from Danfun:


Photo from Galenh:


Photo from Brooklyn Vegan:


To give you some sense of what it was like, here is some of their performance from Bonnaroo on Sunday:

And here are the Conan performances from Monday: Icky and Effect

This Isn't The Modern Age, I swear

The White Stripes, fresh off Jack's assessment of Pennypacker's "Does Jack White Hate Me?" philosophy in Blender and announcement of playing an intimate Los Angeles show on Pennypacker's birthday, are now going to play at Irving Plaza the night before Pennypacker's birthday. A good time will be had by all, including all the hipsters that Jack hates so much.

Battles & Stripes

Local boys Battles. Braxton and the gang are like nothing else out there right now. Listen and watch "Atlas". It sounds like you know what's coming but you really don't:


Meanwhile, the White Stripes went on Later with Jools and frankly, it's all shaping up to be a hell of a summer. They are indeed back.

Red, White, and Boooo

In a video that recalls Touch of Evil and From Dusk Till Dawn (but not really), the rambunctious White Stripes defend the Mexican immigrants in their new video for "Icky Thump":



I don't know which of the following 3 matter most:

1)The song has grown on me to the point where I love it completely
2)The political message of the song (and video) open a tricky but promising moment in the White Stripes' story
3)Jack is decked out in all red ala the early years of the band, signifying a healthy balance of nostalgia and new beginnings

From Iqaluit to Madison Square Garden: More on the Odd Tour of the White Stripes

It slowly can hit you how the band you like isn't just some really good band or a flavor of the month by hipsters and trendsetters. Sometimes you can appreciate just how wacky, unique, strange, and distinct a band you like can be.

What is more bizarre? That the Stripes, of all the bands in the world, are playing Madison Square Garden (the WHOLE Garden it seems, not just the Theater - a difference of 18,000-plus seats). The only stop bigger than the Garden is a football stadium. And that's Rolling Stones territory. That is insane. Or what about Iqaluit? It's hard to imagine those Rolling Stones ever playing there. Maybe Bob Dylan. Maybe. But probably not.

Personally speaking, it would cost me more than $2,000 to put a whole Iqaluit trip together. It's just not going to happen. Unless I get help. Iqaluit or Bust 2007!

So how exactly did this odd, special performance-to-be come together and how is it going to be executed? Read:

The city of Iqaluit's economic development officer said he had been in talks with the White Stripes' publicist about the show.

Mike Bozzer said Thursday the band will bring its own sound technicians and equipment, but the city is connecting it with local options for security, ticket printing and other logistics.

About 500 tickets are expected to go on sale in Iqaluit by early May, and Bozzer said he hopes to keep ticket prices at less than $40.

He added that he's received interest from promoters outside Nunavut in inviting southern fans to the Iqaluit concert.

"The Gillett Entertainment Group has contacted me wanting 50 of the tickets for themselves to sell online to people in Montreal and Ottawa. So definitely those 50 people would stay here for probably a few days — stay in the hotels, eat at our restaurants, shop at our stores," he said.

So that's 50 people right there. Plus some of the locals would want to check it out. Plus as I said the day before last, the Mayor and a Polar Bear or two would probably show up.

If anyone can figure out how to get there cheap, let me know.

OK, OK, I'm a Little Excited...But....

So maybe he hates me. So what. And so what if the last album was a little disappointing. And so what the suits look ridiculous just like the last time. So what.
The White Stripes are the main reason I like music the way I do today. It's been five year since I got into the band and ten years since the band began. It's nostalgia time. And what better way to be nostalgic than to anticipate the official debut of the new single at 12:01AM midnight on Itunes. I haven't listened to the radio leaks from XFM or Indie 103. I'll wait.

But the tour. Classic Jack White Inventive Insanity. They may be the first big time rock band to play Iqaluit, Yellowknife, and Whitehorse. I mean - seriously. Inqaluit? Who is going to attend the show? The Mayor and a Polar Bear?

Some Canadian friends have expressed displeasure at some of these dates. They remarked that some of these towns are rundown areas populated by poor natives and marked by outrageous inflation (it's 8 Canadian dollars for broccoli in Thunder Bay, one of the stops on the Stripes tour). And who is going to actually attend? But perhaps we doth protest too much lest yet the man himself bleats "take take take" again.

And then they are playing the Garden. Madison Square Garden. The whole of it. 20,000 seats last I checked. The bad news: What an un-intimate, cold, arena rock show. The good news: It should hopefully not sell out in a matter of seconds AND there is the possibility that the Dirtbombs could open up but that is pure speculation on my part.

So yeah I'm sure I'll get in big trouble now for voicing some displeasures. Nevermind the fact that I am excited about the new music and the new gig. That's irrelevant. Me, I'm just a big fat jerk who has singled out a band to hate for no good reason. Yep that's me.

But I think Meg is hot. Does that count for something?

Review of the Single Later Tonight or Tomorrow:

Alright. Here it is:

Hello In Through The Out Door Zeppelin! The Zep-like riff is great and after a couple listens I was into that groove. Meg's drumming seems to have really taken a step up. Not that it mattered before, but this extra pep in her step really works.
But then the song takes weird turns. It's too prog rock. I loathe prog rock as a genre. If we label this prog rock, then it is certainly up there with the better prog singles like those from Rush and ELP but prog rock still, as a whole, blows the big enchilada up the ass of an ass. Anyway...
It veers off too much. 2 or 3 different styles mixed in with the Zep riff is too much for one single. The bagpipe sound (or simulation through synth) is wasted. This ain't "It's A Long Way to the Top" by Ac/Dc which I guess it somewhat strives to be in that weird Jack way of doing things.
That being said, it's a good song. 4:17 is way too long for a single but it's good enough to keep me interested and excited about the upcoming record.
Oh and the lyrics! When Jack isn't conjuring Robert Plant, he's practically rapping. And how's this for a verse?:

White Americans, what?
Nothing better to do?
Why don't you kick yourself out
You're an immigrant too?

Stripes go political for maybe the second time ever (one night in concert, Jack took the already socio-economically tinged "Big 3 Killed My Baby" and turned a line about the unscrupulous automotive Big 3 into a line about Bush). A good kick in the ass to the small but annoying cadre of fans who insist that Jack's shtick about old-fashioned style and ethics was a hint at some kind of conservative political belief. Nice to put that little nagging bit of irrelevance to sleep.