The White Stripes
Date: September 17, 2005 The Art of the Show Two years after unloading a blistering set at the Metropolis, The White Stripes graduated to the Bell Centre for their return to Montreal. While the arena was far from its capacity, I cannot imagine that any of the reported 6,600 fans in attendance were anything less than satisfied with another taste of the Stripes' musical whirlwind. Opening duties were given to the Greenhornes, capable players with a rather by-the-numbers throwback garage sound, whose set culminated with a cover of "I Wanna Be Your Dog." Unfortunately, whatever crowd enthusiasm had been generated by the Greenhornes was squandered with a 38-minute changeover, which made for a delay longer than the opener's stage time. While the stage set of white palm trees fronting the obligatory red and black backdrop, along with a road crew nattily attired in the same colours, offered something to watch, the break was definitely excessive. As it turned out, that was the only real stumbling block in the night. When Jack and Meg finally took the stage, a break was not on the agenda. "When I Hear My Name" opened the night with a pounding that was a promise of the glorious noise to come, while a quick transition to "Black Math" was typical of a set that laid song after song with scarcely a pause for breath. While an early diversion to the piano-led "Passive Manipulation," injected amidst "I Think I Smell a Rat," handed the spotlight to Meg, it was Jack who dominated the concert. He held focus, whether prowling the stage, laying down one blazing guitar lead after another, or utilizing the varied instrumentation that strongly colours the band's latest release, Get Behind Me Satan. That album was well represented, with songs such as "Blue Orchid," "My Doorbell," "Forever For Her (Is Over for Me)," "Instinct Blues," and "Red Rain" making it into the live show. However, the setlist also delved as far back as the band's debut, including the primal blues of "The Big Three Killed My Baby" and "Cannon." Amongst the other selections were "Little Bird," "Sister, Do You Know My Name?," "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground," "Hotel Yorba," "Offend in Every Way," and "I Want to be the Boy to Warm Your Mother's Heart." Would-be snags simply guided the night in different directions, as a broken string during "Screwdriver" led Jack to switch guitars and pick up a reprise of "Passive Manipulation." The strong crowd reaction to that event may have influenced the inclusion of Meg's other vocal turn, "In the Cold, Cold Night," which was also very well received (even if Jack did linger a little too close to Meg during that one). The White Stripes carry themselves so effortlessly on stage that it is easy to lose sight of how impressive their performance is, in terms of the sheer sonic output that the duo tosses out and the range that they traverse around a basic blues foundation; but hearing that collection of songs gave proof to both qualities. For me, The White Stripes live experience is generally a cumulative affair: one quality song follows another in rapid succession, building to something greater than the sum of its parts. However, I could not write this review without naming my two highlights of "Death Letter" and "Ball and Biscuit." Jack's transcendent playing rendered each song an epic, the former raggedly stark, the latter swaggering. The encore presented a fine summary of the concert. "I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself" and "Hardest Button to Button" brought the straight goods; "The Nurse" and "Little Ghost" showcased the different directions contained in the new album; the roaring "Seven Nation Army" had the crowd hopping; and the classic "Boll Weevil" ended the night in traditional White Stripes form. All told, it was another stellar showcase from Jack and Meg. <--Prev (Brother Ali and BK One) | Next (Sigur Rós)-->Return to Concert ListReturn to Main Page |