“You work at a record label? I work at a record label too! You got that Spin Magazine? I got that Spin Magazine too! You live in New York City...We ALL live in New York City! Damn!” screamed an especially exuberant Jack White. I love New York - and this was one of those special nights of music that justified the ubiquitous t-shirts and trinkets bearing this very slogan.
Jack White and his “big sistuh” Meg took New York City by storm, playing a mammoth 26-song set over nearly 2 hours at the intimate, 1300-person Fillmore at Irving Plaza, to a capacity crowd of 400 superfans (who camped out overnight for tickets), music industry buffs, and a whole slew of random celebrities, including Josh Hartnett, Matthew Fox, and Rufus Wainwright (to name a few). Vaudevillian cabaret act The Citizens Band began the festivities with their unique brand of campy musical numbers more fit for about 30 blocks uptown. Fronted by Mr. White’s wife, the visibly-pregnant model Karen Elson, the motley crew left the crowd both baffled and restlessly fidgeting for The Stripes’ imminent invasion. I won’t be too critical of Ms. Elson’s band, since I know Jack packs some punch (just ask the lead singer of The Von Bondies).
As The White Stripes’ signature stagehands - dressed from head to toe in black like circa-1930s Delta Blues legend Robert Johnson - wiped the glitter from the stage, the crowd buzzed with anticipation. Whispers of what songs would be played, and stories of special White Stripes gigs from years past echoed through the crowd. The duo finally emerged on the entirely-red stage and kicked things off with the raucous blues stomper “When I Hear My Name,” off their eponymous debut album. The set was comprised of songs spanning their entire career, including a pair of brilliant covers in Dolly Parton’s “Jolene,” Bob Dylan’s “Black Jack Davey,” and fan favorite “In the Cold Cold Night,” with airy vocals provided by Jack’s partner in crime/zesty pace-setter/every hipster’s dream girl, Meg White. This was pure, unabashed blues-rock at its finest and Jack White performed like a man possessed, at one point taunting the captivated crowd with his immaculate sliding abilities, effortlessly shrugging while shredding one-handed, before segueing into the guitar solo from Dick Dale’s “Misirlou” (better known as the theme to “Pulp Fiction”) during “I Think I Smell A Rat.” The new songs, including “Icky Thump,” “I’m Slowly Turning Into You,” and teasings of “Rag and Bone” and “Little Ice Cream Soda,” all sound more manic and thrilling live, while the cheery, stomp-along ditty “Hotel Yorba” sent a majority of the crowd airborne.
Mr. White, not particularly vocal during the first half of the show, let loose with a couple of funny stories including his tour around New York City, a random shout-out to Yonkers (met with boos), and an odd anecdote about a fellow camper killing a squirrel in his tent when he was 12. Strange, yet fascinating stuff.
The Stripes closed the set with “Black Math,” before storming out to an incredible 5-song encore, including the Zeppelin-esque “Blue Orchid” and an intense rendition of my favorite Stripes song “Ball and Biscuit,” before closing the night with “Boll Weevil.” Sure, I would’ve loved to have heard new tunes “Rag and Bone” and “Little Ice Cream Soda” in their entirety, and yes Jack’s distortion was off at times (especially during “Dead Leaves in the Dirty Ground”), but I defy anyone to brand this special night as anything short of a triumph. The night had everything: an outrageously awful opening act, random shout-outs to Yonkers, $5 commemorative t-shirts, and 2 hours of bluesy bliss, thus reaffirming the fact that The White Stripes are one of the best musical acts of our generation.
--Marlow Stern
Photo: Ami Barwell - www.musicphotographer.co.uk
