Paramount Theatre Seattle, WA
Contact: fia@bighassle.com
Website: jackwhiteiii.com
The Players: Jack White, vocals, guitars; Bobby Emmett, keys; Dominic John Davis, bass; Patrick Keeler, drums
“DANGER, HIGH-VOLTAGE!” The air cracked with this hair-raising energy as Jack White and his band—bassist Dominic John Davis, keyboardist Bobby Emmett, and drummer Patrick Keeler—stormed onto Seattle’s Paramount Theatre for the first of two sold-out shows. After taking their places, White charged toward the front of the house and stomped on his ultra-customized pedalboard while seizing his black-and-yellow Fender Triplecaster, one of three signature guitars aligned on stage in perfect geometrical symmetry. Raising it high, he shredded a sustained barre chord and screamed out an otherworldly wail. His actions sent a bolt of electricity through the venue, shocking everyone as White and company tore into the smoldering, thick-rolling “Old Scratch Blues” from White’s No Name, his recent undercover, unconventional LP release.
The lead track set the tone for the evening— White drawing from his raw, retro blues rock-infused past, and delivering it with a modern-driven edge that effortlessly teeters toward experimental yet-to-be-explored circuit-based curiosities. Perhaps more importantly, “Old Scratch Blues” instantly connected with the firebrand of fans, many of whom missed White's coveted spur-of-the-moment ‘band-in-a-van’ stop-over last year.
In the wake of the song’s fuzz, buzz, and feedback, White and his powerhouse band pummeled forth with visceral authenticity, unleashing “That's How I'm Feeling.” The song, one of many top-shelf singles from No Name, highlighted White's knack for crafting warm, analog tones that shake and saturate the senses.
White continued his crushing performance by digging into a treasure trove of material, seamlessly weaving The White Stripes, side-project gems, and solo work together. The swaggering thick guitar swells in “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground” (The White Stripes) and the psychedelia whirring sheers in “Broken Boy Soldier” (The Raconteurs) were a few fan favorites. “That Black Bat Licorice,” from 2014’s Lazaretto, mesmerized with layered, multi-octave riffs, resulting in swaths of sound on sound.
Fierce fretting and technical know-how were also on display during the performance. No Name’s “Rough on Rats (If You’re Asking)” showcased White's shrewd slide guitar skills and “Bombing Out” served as a masterclass in slick strumming and whammy bar, wah-pedal trickery.
