Photos by Megan Perry Moore
“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 Jack 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 Jack 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 — Jack 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 Jack’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, Jack 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 Jack’s knack for crafting warm, analog tones that shake and saturate the senses.
Jack 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 Jack’s shrewd slide guitar skills, and “Bombing Out” served as a masterclass in slick strumming and whammy bar, wah-pedal trickery. Jack White’s emblematic sonics remained front and center with the tender “We’re Going to Be Friends” (The White Stripes), and the hazy Southern garage rock in “Top Yourself” (The Raconteurs).
While the crowd could have bathed in Jack White’s rich multi-layered style of sound forever, Jack set a limit on it, crashing into an encore stacked with gritty, retro rock n’ roll. The smattering of hits included the tempo changing, guitar screaming “Icky Thump,” the throbbing thrumming and drumming in “The Hardest Button to Button,” and the iconic, seven-note rally cry in the now ever-present stadium staple “Seven Nation Army.” As its final chord echoed through the historic venue, Jack, Dominic, Bobby, and Patrick took an old-school bow —a nod to fans for being a pseudo “third man” of the show, just behind the band and the instruments they carry in tow.
