Let’s talk about music.
More accurately, let’s talk about the White Stripes. I’m currently listening to this vinyl bootleg I have called Black Stars/White Stripes. It’s from a show that the band did in Berlin on May 19, 2003. I haven’t ever really considered myself a huge fan of Jack & Meg, but I’m pretty excited to see them live. I picked up this record about a year ago and have listened to it maybe twice (it’s hard to find the time to listen to everything I own). But just from hearing this live show, listening to the way that the band operate as two (yet as one), I am pretty gosh darn excited to see them rock the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba on July 2.
I’ve always been kind of on the fence about this band. I’m not going to claim to be with them since their inception, but I’ve liked the duo since I saw the Michel Gondry video for “Fell In Love With A Girl” (he also did “The Hardest Button to Button” clip). At first, they were somewhat reminiscent of the Pixies, or rather the way Jack howls he sounds like Black Francis on “Vamos”. I remember reading early on about how White’s songs from the film Cold Mountain were claiming to be old time war songs, but he had just ripped them off. After further research, I learned that T-Bone Burnett wrote all the songs performed in the film, save one that White wrote. Having a great hatred for all things Renee Zellweger, I never saw this film. I was also weary of White for dating the Oscar winning actress, for reasons that don’t really need explaining.
But then I stop, reflect, and realize that this has nothing to do with how the White Stripes are simply an incredible rock band. They incorporate blues, punk, garage and solid Detroit rock & roll more than anyone else out there. They do it consistently. They put out solid material almost yearly. Most notably, on this tour they have decided to play every Canadian province and hit all of the American states that they have left to play. This, along with their hilarious scene in Jim Jarmusch’s Coffee & Cigarettes, makes them unbelievably cool. But once again, it’s more about the music. Forget how Jack is obsessed with red, white and black. Forget how he claimed his ex wife was his sister. Forget how on this bootleg I’m listening to he launches into “Mr Cellophane” (from the musical Chicago, possibly because of Zellweger) during “I Think I Smell a Rat”. What makes them cool is that they rock harder than anyone else, do it naturally and sincerely (even while putting up a ridiculous front) and have really interesting song structures. Even the make up of the band is breaking convention. Although some of my favourite bands over the years have been duos (of the bass and drum variety) such as Death From Above 1979, the Inbreds and Duotang. They have also survived commercially, even after the “Garage Band” fad wore off. And as much as I adore the Strokes, they haven’t maintained the success they once achieved as being New York’s favourite sons.
When the Flaming Lips cover one of your songs and pay tribute to you in another, you can’t argue that you’ve earned acceptance from the older cool kids. I will say I’m pretty stoked to catch the White Stripes, even if it is in an arena rock setting, more appropriate for the likes of Black Sabbath reunion tours that aren’t calling themselves Black Sabbath. I would much rather prefer that it was in a shitty hotel bar, and that there were nine people in the audience. But this way we can all share in our love of Jack & Meg, together. As a community.
I’m so odd sometimes.
Their new album “Icky Thump” is out on June 19 on Warner Brothers Records.
For more information check out these links:
http://www.whitestripes.com/
