Jack White

Pace: blistering. Face: melted. Embrace: a seminal musician and his hometown. Jack White's relationship with Detroit is a complex one, but any remaining ill will between city and native son served only to fuel the fire Wednesday night, as White and his band unleashed a ferocious, nearly three-hour barrage of musical magnificence, peppering in a few delightful surprises along the way. This week, upwards of 4,500 fans packed the Masonic Temple--a building White saved last year via of an anonymous donation to avoid foreclosure. The crowd first exploded as a figure began to rustle the pale blue curtain obscuring the stage, only to be greeted by a request to keep their cell phones holstered and enjoy the performance as it was meant to be enjoyed: live. Nearly fifteen additional minutes would pass before perhaps the night's most exciting minute, White's opening number, a fast and forceful rendition of "Fell in Love With a Girl," the track that first broadened The White Stripes' audience. The band spent the majority of the next three hours tearing through White's extensive catalogue, delighting the pulsating audience with selections from the aforementioned White Stripes, The Raconteurs, The Dead Weather, and White's solo work, ranging from instantly-recognizable favorites like "Icky Thump" and "Steady As She Goes" to cult classics like "Astro" and "Screwdriver" to live rarities like "The Big Three Killed My Baby," "Apple Blossom," and "I Fought Piranhas." The biggest surprise of the night came in the form of an impromptu Dead Weather performance of "I Cut Like a Buffalo," as frontwoman Alison Mosshart and guitarist Dean Ferita joined Jack's band on stage, White twirling Mosshart around his person--"Thanks for the lift jack!!"--as she bid farewell to the electrified crowd. Despite the raucous nature of the performance, the finer points were not lost on the crowd, as the band worked in riffs from Led Zeppelin, covers from Beck and Hank Williams, and dedications to some of Detroit's musical greats. Moreover, White's band was impeccable, both riffing off one another and adjusting to White's direction on the fly. The blues/garage/grunge sound White has long been known for still manages to shine through in his performances though his older works have largely been fleshed out for a five-piece band employing a variety of instruments including keys, violin, pedal steel, and even a theremin. The result is no less an assault on the soul than on the senses, as White's emotion is amplified by his precise yet remarkably improvisational performance. Jack White has a long history of celebrated live performances, particularly in his hometown, but July 30, 2014 at the Masonic Temple will stand out even among his best. Tickets were hard to come by for this show, and the music fans who managed to secure them were handsomely rewarded. White's donation put his name on the venue's smaller theater. Performances like this leave no doubt that this, too, is Jack White's theater.

So after a four week gap between gigs we are back in the swing of things at the hallowed venue, Hammersmith Odeon. It was the scene of my first ever gig, Whitesnake in 1981 and indeed 18 of next 25 gigs I ever went to were here. It may have changed its name many times in the past 30 years but it will still be Hammy O to me. This year’s moniker is the Eventim Apollo (WTF) and it welcomes Mr Jack White. I have seen Jack in many of his guises, The White Stripes, The Raconteurs and solo and he has never failed to deliver so expectations were high. It’s hot and sweaty outside but that feels positively balmy compared to the heat generated by the 5000 souls inside. There’s a feeling that Jack is a little unhinged at the moment playing a secret gig the night before with the audience dressed in hospital gowns and he being pushed away in a hospital bed. This on top of his falling into the drum kit at Glasto. I dunno but have always felt that he’s a man on the edge and that’s probably what makes him so interesting creatively much like Ryan Adams and Conor Oberst. I won’t bore you with running through the set but for me there were obvious highlights, Three Women, Hotel Yorba, Ball and Biscuit and a different take on Steady as She Goes. Working without a setlist he went wherever the mood took him supported by a superb band led by the charismatic drummer who can’t sit for too long, has his drums pointing in a jaunty angle and has a penchant for the cow bell. The violinist is accomplished and can actually be heard amongst the electric mayhem going on and has a unique high pitched voice that compliments Jack’s well. This complemented by Mandolin, Theremin, pedal steel, organ, keyboard, upright base. All that’s missing is Evelyn Glennie and her glockenspiel. The night moves from acoustic albeit heavily amplified with mandolin to full on delta blues taking in Rock/Rap. Indeed a lot of the songs especially the new ones are delivered in a real punchy staccato style, the lyrics spat out in a Rage against the Machine mode which for this young listener aint a bad thing. It’s an energetic show and Jack does his best rock god impressions that don’t look cheesy or contrived. He’s obviously enjoying this and makes some barbed comments about Glastonbury and distance to the audience. Two hours later it’s all over closing with the football terrace friendly Seven Nation Army. We leave and I’m in desperate need of rehydration and some new ear drums please. Five stars to wake up London on a hot steamy night. Sleep comes much later thanks to the ringing in the ears

Jack White is sure to melt your face off with his his thrashing guitar and raw energy on stage. My heart always feels like it's going to explode in a Jack White mosh pit.....and trust me, it's in a good way.
Although Jack toured with two entirely different bands on his last tour, one made up of all females (the Peacocks), and one made up of all males (the Buzzards), his tour this summer is a collaboration of the two (along with some new faces).
Jack likes to keep it real on stage by not dedicating himself to any particular setlist, but instead calling out which song to play next on a whim. This keeps things fresh as neither him nor his band know what song is coming next until it is time to play it (although there does seem to be a rotating list of songs you can count on hearing!).
One of the other things I really love about seeing Jack live is his interplay with the crowd. I like how chatty he is with the crowd, and he doesn't just run down the same old spiel every time. Jack's level of energy is always matched by the crowd, so if the crowd is amped, he will rock the roof off.
Songs you can (probably) count on hearing: --"Steady as she goes" by The Raconteurs, --"Top Yourself" by The Dead Weather --"I Can Tell That We Are Going To Be Friends" by The White Stripes, --"Hotel Yorba" by The White Stripes, and you can definitely count on hearing --"Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes as the encore finale.
The best part about seeing Jack again and again is that Jack and his band play all of your favorite White Stripes, Dead Weather, Raconteurs, and his solo work a little differently every time. Some other interesting things to note about his current tour: --Theremin solos!! (Get ready to have your mind blown) --Jack has been playing some covers, which is something I have not really known him to do in the past. So far, he has played songs by Metallica ("Enter Sandman"), The Police ("Message in a Bottle"), Talking Heads ("Psycho Killer"), Bob Dylan ("Isis"), and even Kanye West ("Black Skinhead"). Jack makes it his mission that fans that come to his shows will not be getting the same thing every time, so do yourself a favor, and find a Jack White tour date near you!

Jack White is a Stakhanovist. Ever since the White Stripes, has he been behind the drums, producing artists or hammering his guitar, the man has lived for and through music. Actually, I can't think of anybody else embodying music like he does. That's why seeing him live is an unmissable opportunity. Paris, L'Olympia. June, the 29th. I'm sweating, sipping my beer. A man in a black suit comes on stage to deliver a message from the prophete : please, don't take any photos, including with your phones, for tonight's gonna be a real live experience. The man has guts, and i'm feeling terrible for the two lads taking selfies over there. But i'm feeling confident and i have the feeling that an electric rock'n'roll storm is going to hit the venue.
Light's down, show's on. Everything goes UNDER CONTROL as "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" opens the gig. It's a simple deal : you don't take photos, just enjoy this moment of total rock'n'roll, and i'm going to give you what you've come for : music thrills.
I've been to pretty much any sort of concert, but i think i've never seen a band who enjoyed the moment like they did. It felt just like you were witnessing a jam between incredible musicians, including sensational drummer and pianist. From The White Stripes to his current project, through The Raconteurs, everything Jack White has done is reviewed and corrected, Nashville Tennessee Style (yeah, that means violin and slide guitar on Seven Nation Army). After nearly two hours of music, you come home and know that what you've just seen can be depicted as one of these musical moments one can't forget (even though you haven't taken any pictures).
Oh boy, music isn't dead. It's in a pretty amazing shape !

Jack White completely empties his tank for 2 solid hours at the Fox Theatre. He leaves the crowd satisfied, but of course we want more. His passion for sharing his craft and electric aura whipped through the venue. His performance covered many popular White Stripes songs to the Dead Weather, and both Blunderbuss, and Lazaretto Albums. It seemed like he played both in their entirety. Each song was extended by Jack falling in love with multiple guitars, and getting lost in a stream of riffs that blended into other songs. There were moments where the guitar jams didn't seem like they would ever end (no complaints) and then he would quickly switch to parts of another song and go back to the original one he was playing. He took us through his music timeline and added some surprise songs as well and even a little hip hop. Yeah that's right! Tonight he chose the male band to play with and they were all in sync with Jacks electric generosity. He is genuine, held nothing back, and was very present. He brings a newness and rebirth to rock, blues, country, and mixes it into his own style. You can definitely hear the Zeppelin influence, but he pulls it off without appearing as if he's ripping it off. This show was worth every mile travelled and every penny spent! There are no photos of the show because we all agreed as per Jacks request that we watch in it's entirety in the moment and share with our friends as a memory. It was refreshing to only see a number of phones capturing footage (I guess they didn't hear the message) but overall everyone was left wowed!

Jack White from the Jack White Theater in Detroit? Who could say no? The Masonic Temple was clearly buzzing and couldn't wait for White, the hometown hero of rock. And clearly, White couldn't wait for Detroit. A three hour set spanning his entire discography, including a surprise reunion with his Dead Weather mates, and bookended by White Stripes cuts (some very deep), delighted the packed house. White's surreal guitar artistry shone through as he shredded early, following with a mix of newer solo material, covers of Hank Williams and Led Zeppelin, and many of his most popular songs across his work (the only major omission being the White Stripes' "Blue Orchid"). In control the entire time, White gestured and conducted his five-piece accompaniment, featuring drums, bass (electric and stand-up), violin/fiddle, keyboards, and steel guitar. With his children looking on from the side of the stage, White energetically and raucously bounded across the stage, at times standing on the drumset, at other times recklessly knocking down cymbals and microphones as the cacophony of his guitar solos overtook him. The crowd serenaded him with a roaring chant of his anthemic riff from "Seven Nation Army" before his return for a 10-song encore, closing with four White Stripes tracks, during which he invited three fans on stage to help sing "My Doorbell." With faded blue hues washing over him as seems to be his solo act's theme, White ended an exhausting yet deeply satisfying show on "Seven Nation Army," calling triumphantly "Now THAT'S the Detroit I know!"

The Jack White show in Frankfurt was the best concert I saw in recent years, definitely one of the "most-rocking shows" ever!! Venue and acoustics were great, and Jack & Crew burned up a firework of songs. Aside from "The Man" himself, Lillie Mae Rische on violin/fiddle, manolin and backing vocals was awesome. I'm still buffled by her talent, voice, and looks :) Her voice was blending with Jack White's (when they had lyrics together) so perfectly, it was simply awesome! Just too bad the studio album(s) don't even sound a fraction as good as the live show... as I had to find out when listening to some of the songs again at home. I just hope Jack White will bring out a live album of the Lazaretto tour; I'd be the first in line to get it, no matter what! What else is there to say...? Jack White & Gang were simply spectacular, and I just wish I had the necessary $$ (or better, €€ :) ) to see a couple more of their shows in Europe. They are THAT good & so worth it; yes! You have got to see them if you can, you won't regret it!!!

Jack White brings the ruckus, period. He opened up the show with "Fell In Love With A Girl," running around the stage while simultaneously egging the crowd on to finish the lyrics for him. It didn't take long for everyone to catch on, and right off the bat the show was electric. Immediately following that were two early White Stripes favorites, "Cannon" and "Astro."

Although I preferred the scuzzed-out minimalist blues that he and Meg gave us with The White Stripes, seeing him with one of his many backing bands was still a life-changing experience. He always rewards the die-hard Stripes fans for coming out by playing at least a handful of early favorites from his back catalog, not afraid of going all the way back to The White Stripes self-titled debut.

The highlight for me was when he turned out one of my all time favorites, Ball and Biscuit. My friends and I traveled 3 hours to get our faces properly melted, and melt they did.

What else can be said about Jack White that hasn't already been said ? He continues his never ending crusade to bring a highly entertaining and satisfying rock show to his audience. He doesn't simply want to show up and play, far from it. Instead, Jack brings his expansive catalog of rock riffs and hits straight to your face and asks you to accept the challenge. For those fortunate enough to attend you were not left dissapointed with the way he kept bringing the rock. This is my first time seeing him as a solo act and he obviously enjoys the freedom. He played many of the songs that made him popular with the white stripes and sprinkled in his other projects throughout the show. The only disappointing part of the experience was that it had to end. If Jack is ever anywhere near a venue that is not more than 5 hours away, I will gladly make the trek.

I have never seen an artist enjoy their own concert as much as Jack White. He was talking and interacting with the crowd and cracking jokes with band members. You can tell he truly loves putting on concerts for fans. Everyone at the show had a great time. The music was about half Jack's solo stuff and half White Stripes with a Dead Weather song in there and some jam sessions. He also revamped a couple of songs like 'Missing Pieces' such that they sounded completely different and it was so cool to experience! There's some different instrumentation in a couple songs that makes going to the live show so worth it. Any time you have a theremin solo it's a good time! The venue, Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica, was just excellent. At one point a large ship about as tall as a 10 story building cruised behind the stage. Beautiful view of downtown skyline too.