The White Stripes - St Louis Pageant - 10/7/02
5/5
By: Austin Louis Ray
As the curtain pulled away, the crunching chords of 'Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground' ripped through the air of the venue. Twenty seconds or so later, the guitar was coupled with a minimalist-yet-commanding drum-beat. This went on for a little while longer before it all backed down, the raucous music's replacement instead becoming shrill, quivering vocals that gave the room a collective chill down the spine...
Perhaps you aren't familiar with the White Stripes. Though, that may be unlikely by now, especially when taking into the account the innumerable rave reviews they've specifically received over the past twelve months, but for those unaware, the 'band' is composed of two - that's right, only two - members, Jack and Meg White. Some (including the Whites themselves) claim they are brother and sister, others say ex-spouses. The semantics are unimportant though; and hearing these two onstage makes that very clear.
Jack himself is a sight to see, and behold. His black, almost-crimped hair hangs in front of his eyes, giving him a certain mystique that is lifted almost symbolically when he pulls the coiffure back, whether with his hand or a sharp, rock-induced jerk of the head. Simultaneously decked out from head to toe in red, the colourful impact is only matched by his guitar, which he slings around so much that it's almost an extension of his body. Menacing when he howls, his oft-bluesy sentiments or attacks to his six-string, notably, never prove uninviting.
The other half of the pair, Meg, is Jack's polar opposite. Her presence can be summed up as a dichotomy of sweet innocence and self-assured confidence. The latter, particularly, can be seen in the way she closes her eyes and cocks her head to one side, becoming one with the simplicity of the instrument she operates... And, sure, a more technically advanced drummer may have critical words for her skills, but hers fit the songs more than adequately - and she knows it.
These two individuals together made for a true rock show, sans boredom. In fact, somewhat oddly, the force of the White Stripes is more powerful than most acts with twice the amount of people. Exerting this force, Jack stomps between his two provided microphones, exchanging them carelessly when a specific break arrives in a given solo-part. And, when tired of singing, he wrestles with his guitar as if it were a savage beast, one especially impacting instance revealing his preference to play the instrument with his teeth. Ouch. Yet, aside from these displays of rock star-strut, the Stripes' charm (and strength) is the utter absorption into their own output they entail upon themselves, the audience serving as a mere observation-point into such an extraordinarily natural and thrilling display.
Perhaps the best part of a White Stripes' show, however, is the way that the band performs covers of its own songs, so to speak, almost every tune in their spontaneous-seeming set altered from its originally recorded version, the country-tinged 'Hotel Yorba' provided a new rock bounce with the change to electric guitar, 'Apple Blossom' and its acoustic intro swapped to keyboard, and its piano parts changed to distorted guitar. In addition, nearly every word - choruses excluded - of 'Rated X', is sung by the usually-silent Meg alone, resulting in some of the loudest applause of the night.
After a relentless hour's worth of material without stop, the Whites flee the stage-area, only to return smiling, each awkwardly (suggesting they don't habitually partake in tobacco) smoking a cigarette. One more song is what we're rewarded, the duo launching into the blues traditional, 'Boll Weevil' - complete with encouraged (and delivered) audience-participation. The house-lights let up, the chills finally subside and the audience is left to reflect on the final words of Jack White.
'We'll be back again,' he claimed, brightly, 'If you'll have us.' No worries, Jack - St. Louis most certainly will.
Artists in this article: The White Stripes
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