Jack White primer

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

One of my friends is a huge Jack White fan and was excited to score four primo seats to a concert next month. Alas, an event was scheduled that he simply can't miss. He gifted me his tickets, knowing that I love concerts, and probably suspecting that my musical tastes need to be slightly expanded and updated.

Here's the thing. I know of Jack White and White Stripes -- hard to live in my state and not be aware -- and I know "Seven Nation Army." But other than that, I know very little about his music. I have a month to learn so I can best appreciate the concert.

Any recommendations about where to begin? Best songs or albums I should put on heavy rotation between now and then?

[Fman99]

He's a uniquely talented guitar player. I'm a fan.

Personally I would start with Broken Boy Soldiers which is the 2005 debut album by his fully fleshed out band The Raconteurs. There are a number of catchy songs on there.

[Edgy MD]

He strikes me more as a Jimmy Page type. An innovative guitarist who finds new ways to channel and mix the sound, but not so much a terrific player. His solos break through the mix really excitingly, but they don't develop into a full composition as often.

[cal sharpie]

I’d go with the White Stripes’ Elephant or his first solo album Blunderbuss.

[ashie62]

Drummer girl Meg reminds me of someone banging on a tinkertoy lid.

I find it mesmerizing.

[TransMonk]

I love him with The Raconteurs.

[RealityChuck]

I find him very impressive. Elephant is a fine album.

Fun fact: he gave lessons to Jimmy Page and the Edge (for $5)

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

Thanks for the help, guys! I listened to all those things in the weeks leading up to the show.

It was a really good concert. He led off with three songs from the new album, which just came out last Friday. Usually that's kind of rough on the audience, but the opener has been out as a single for months and the three songs kind of go together. He did a nice mix of solo, White Stripes and Raconteurs material, with a Dead Weather song mixed in.

He really likes feedback.

It was an odd stage, not very deep and with a lot of stuff piled on it, so no one had much room to move around. He had a white statue in the back that they would project things on, and I think he sang one of the songs into its ear.

Lots of blue. We had to put our cellphones in a locked bag during the show. I guess it was nice to be able to watch and not have to look through a sea of phones, but it was a pain in the butt, too. The area pushes moible ordering and cashless sales, so that didn't go over too well.

Merch was reasonably priced, at least for a concert. Got a neat shirt, patch and socks!

Set list, per the website:

Taking Me Back
Fear of the Dawn
The White Raven, (Live debut)
Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground, (The White Stripes song)
You Don't Understand Me, (The Raconteurs song)
Love Interruption
Blue Blood Blues, (The Dead Weather song)
Love Is Blindness, (U2 cover)
Missing Pieces
Freedom at 21
Love Is Selfish
What’s the Trick?
Temporary Ground
The Hardest Button to Button, (The White Stripes song)
When I Hear My Name, (The White Stripes song)
Lazaretto
You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do as You're Told), (The White Stripes song)
Steady, as She Goes, (The Raconteurs song)
Encore:
Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine, (The White Stripes song) (first time since 2005)
Sixteen Saltines
I Think I Smell a Rat, (The White Stripes song)
That Black Bat Licorice
Seven Nation Army, (The White Stripes song)

[TransMonk]

I saw The Raconteurs the summer before COVID and they had the phone-pouch mandatory there as well. Cashless was not as far a long as it is now, so that did not seem to be as big a deal. I enjoyed not watching the show through the screen of the person in front of me.

[Frayed Knot]

I'm sure that phones blocking views is not the reason for the ban ... but it fuckin' should be.

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

I saw The Raconteurs the summer before COVID and they had the phone-pouch mandatory there as well. Cashless was not as far a long as it is now, so that did not seem to be as big a deal. I enjoyed not watching the show through the screen of the person in front of me.

I totally get it. I take photos at a show, but get the camera up and down quickly. I don't understand the people who are recording videos of entire songs.

[Fman99]

Same here. I want 1-2 photos so I can post a picture to social media and people will know how cool I am that I'm at a concert. I don't need full length videos of nothing

[Frayed Knot]

I don't understand the people who are recording videos of entire songs.

I do, they're obnoxious bastards.