By: Darci Michon
CHICAGO– When I think about my experience of seeing Jack White live, I am reminded of Charli XCX’s Instagram caption when she released “brat and it’s completely different but also still brat” where she says, “I think songs are endless and have the possibility to be continuously broken down, reworked, changed, morphed, mutilated into something completely unrecognizable.”
Now, if I were to think of an artist in this day in age who perfectly demonstrates the constant growth and change, as well as continuous writing and rewriting of a song it would be, Jack White. When performing live, White is constantly rewriting his songs by improvising intricate guitar riffs and lyrical interludes off the top of his head. A perfect instance of White’s impeccable musicianship was showcased on April 11th, his second night of a two night run at The Salt Shed.
White’s second night of the “No Name” tour in Chicago was opened by local band “Cel Ray,” who’s ruthlessly upbeat take on experimental punk blew the crowd away. The sold out show was packed with people from all generations anxiously awaiting for White and his band, consisting of Dominic Davis (bass), Bobby Emmett (keys), and Patrick Keeler (drums), to take the stage.
White kicked off the night with an impromptu jam, which immediately captured the attention of the crowd, before diving into “Old Scratch Blues,” the opening track of his latest album “No Name”. As the band started with the song’s opening riff, the crowd immediately got moving. That energy carried through to the next song, “That’s How I’m Feeling.” Which is arguably his biggest track off of his most recent LP. During the chorus, The Salt Shed was booming with the lines “oh-oh” and “oh-yeah” which echoed through the venue.
Throughout his history of touring, White rarely ever uses a determined setlist, which often leaves the audience filled with anticipation as they await what song they are going to hear next.
White showcased other fan favorites off of “No Name,” with songs like “Rough On Rats (If You’re Asking),” “Archbishop Harold Holmes,” and “What’s The Rumpus?” Despite White’s extensive solo discography, he filled his set with songs from all of his other projects as well, including “Broken Boy Soldier” by “The Raconteurs” and “The Dead Weather’s” “I Cut Like A Buffalo.”
One of the most notable moments of White’s second night at The Salt Shed, was how a little less than half of the setlist was composed of songs from White’s legendary band, “The White Stripes.” Some songs that he played from The White Stripes’ discography that truly stood out were “Black Math,” “Hotel Yorba,” “Blue Orchid,” and “Ball and Biscuit.”
While I have seen Jack White live multiple times, it always feels so surreal to be able to see him perform “The White Stripes” songs live, due to the fact that when these came out, I was not old enough to see them live. While his solo setup is a little different compared to Jack and Meg White rocking out on stage, it feels as if White has brought a new life to these songs, with a full backing band and new instrumentation to these beloved songs.
While the show was absolutely incredible, there was one moment that stood out beyond the rest. During the first song into the encore, White bursted out into one of “The White Stripes’” most beloved songs, “Icky Thump.” About halfway through the song, White started to sing the lyrics, “It can’t be love, for there is no true love.” As the crowd slowly started to realize what was happening, they started to go wild; White was playing The White Stripes’ “The Union Forever” for the first time in about a decade. White playing that track truly felt cathartic for pretty much everyone in the entire room, and when he was done, he went right back to shredding the iconic “Icky Thump” riff, and finishing out the original song as if it was no big deal that he shook the entire venue to its core.
White’s show at The Salt Shed was one of the most noisy and brilliant displays of musical excellence that proves why he is not only one of the greatest guitar players but overall artists who’s legacy has and will remain prominent in the history of rock music.
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