The Raconteurs

The Raconteurs have named themselves well. They jingle-jangle themselves into your body on a live set. Great little hooks and strange beats make them ‘different’ and let’s be honest – that’s exactly what any music lover wants these days. I’ve seen them live a couple times and a great one was at a Jools Holland gig. They were doing a few re-takes of a song they were testing out and having a laugh with the crowd when Jack messed up this tricky riff. “Don’t worry, we’re professionals”, he joked. It was a really convivial mood and they were nailing their short set list. The things I love about these guys live is their relaxed mood, ‘pally’ interactions, the vibe that they’ll be dancing around a bit too so it’s okay if you do. It’s hippy-meets-rock and I think that’s what they want to project, even if they’re not trying to. The bluesy vibe is just part of their collective makeup. They play like they feel and it runs through them both ways. Despite being a relatively new band, they’ve got loads of experience in the industry and it shows. The vocals and musicianship is solid. They really go off and the songs carry on for ages. A gig with them may have 10 songs, but it lasts. It’s a total pleasure seeing these guys play.

Although I have seen Jack White solo several times, this is the first time I've seen The Raconteurs, and it was something special. While the collaboration with Brendan Benson makes this band my favorite, on Saturday night, in the words of my host and lil bro, Jack White was like a MACK TRUCK. If you've seen Jack in different situations you know that in the middle of a tour at any ol city you might not get Jack's very very best (and that is up to the crowd as well, you have to get into it) - well, we got FESTIVAL Jack. He may not love the festival scene, but he talks more to the crowd. Saturday night his soloing was simply off the charts, the setlist was great, I don't know what else to say other than I can't wait til Sep 3 so they can surprise me in new ways at The Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh, NC. (BTW, spoiler alert - Red Hat is my LEAST favorite venue in NC, so I'm really looking forward to them over coming this little bit of opinion on my part.)

Jack White and crew were great but their venue wasn't set up for success. HUGE lines for beer and food. 2 out of the 4 food trunks ran out of food by 6 PM. I think I saw only 4 or so beer taps for the whole venue. There were also 2 liquor locations with lines >50 people long. You also had to buy beer tickets in a separate and equally long line. There was even a line to enter the indoor venue since there was too many people for it to accommodate. The only thing that didn't have lines were the bathrooms (probably b/c no one could drink enough to use them).

Overall the concert was great. The sound was a little off on the vocals and some of the songs were not as clear as others. It was very noticeable with the opening act Jacuzzi Boys because I did not know their music and I could not understand a single song. The lighting was of the chain, and the sound for the instruments was clear. Originally we thought it was the venue but with the instruments being clear and the vocals being off a little wefigured it was the sound management. I would love to see them again.

Opening show in Detroit was amazing! Jack had the crowd eating out of his hand. He was definitely pumped up and was all over the stage. Played multiple guitars and the organ. The set was about 90 minutes with a ton of songs from the new release, which is great, so pick it up if you haven't already! Great ready for a great show!

Jack White on fire, the best guitarist I've seen live in my whole life.
Very energetic concert, the band never stopped between songs and they played all the classic tunes.
The venue was also very big but the acoustic was nonetheless perfect.

The show was awesome! One of the best performances I've seen. They are one of those bands that you need to see love because they are incredibly talented musicians and they know how to put on a great show. I would love to see them again!

Best band on the stage today. I hope they come around again. So happy to see actual music in this day and time. The Anthem is the perfect venue for a jam session with best rock band on the airwaves.

It was an amazing show, if you're a fan of rock, Jack White, or of course the band, go see them if you have the chance. Their encore was awesome and they played 4 extra songs. THEY'RE AMAZING!

Totally amazing show. The band came to play. Lots of energy. My ears are still ringing. Definitely in my top 5 shows that span 45 years. Thanks to the Midland Theatre for hosting the show.