After several failed attempts to bring their whirlwind of red and white to the Brew City, The White Stripes finally gave peppermint children their long-desired dose of stripey fun as the Eagles Ballroom was transformed into a fantasy candyland.
Betty Boop cartoons played on a large screen behind the stage while fans (at least two were sporting red and white painted faces, giving them the appearance of Kiss wannabes gone bad) anxiously awaited for the self-proclaimed “brother-sister duo” to take the stage.
And then with blistering gusto Jack appeared, outfitted in black, and instantly delved into the opening chords of “Black Math” off of The White Stripes’ most recent album, Elephant, screaming the first lines of the song, “Don’t you think that I’m bound to react now?”
React he did.
As the crowd surged forward, heads bouncing up and down, a quick smile danced across Jack’s pale-white face, and fans knew it was going to be a good night.
Delivering a constant stream of searing rhythms, The White Stripes deftly transitioned from one song into another, beginning something new before you even realized the last song had ended.
And the palette of songs played was just right.
Rather than focusing all of their attention on promoting Elephant, The White Stripes offered up a nice mixture from each of their four albums with unique savory selections unknown to the average radio-listener. Also thrown into the mix were several covers, including Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” and Bob Dylan’s “Outlaw Blues.”
While the show was 90 percent non-stop energy, The White Stripes did slow things down a bit about halfway through the concert, when Meg left her drum kit for the mic to deliver a heart-warming rendition of “In The Cold, Cold, Night.” Meg has definitely worked out the jitters that came when she first started performing the song, her vocals now clear and confident.
The highlight of the entire evening was Son House’s “Death Letter.” Jack employed the use of a slide, and the soul-moving blues that ensued reminded the entire audience of where The White Stripes first found inspiration. Jack’s mastery of the guitar was more than evident as he and Meg segued into “Little Bird” and then “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking Meg,” creating an experience that will be remembered for days to come.
“The Big Three Killed My Baby,” “Ball and Biscuit” and “The Hardest Button to Button” sent bodies slamming into bodies as the crowd went wild, a rollicking sea of dedicated fans. Meg kept the pace as if she’s been drumming her whole life (when in reality Jack taught her several years ago), maintaining an air of nonchalance the whole time. Ending the set with “Screwdriver,” Jack wailed out, “I got a little feeling goin’ now” and no one in the room would have argued as that same feeling washed over them.