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| The White Stripes July 28, 2005 Glass House, Pomona, CA What's that, Sparky? You say you're tired of having to go see your favorite bands at some giant, corporate-sponsored arena with tens of thousands of other folks--half of whom aren't even sure why they're there? You say you're tired of having to whip out your binoculars just to verify that it really is your favorite band up there prancing around onstage, only to end up disappointed with the whole lame experience? Well, those candy-cane-colored kids from Detroit--The White Stripes--recently offered up the cure for what ails you at the Glass House in lovely and charming Pomona, Calif. The approximately 800-capacity club, about an hour's drive east of Los Angeles, hosted the band on the night of July 28 for a surprise club gig right before the duo's U.S. tour was due to officially kick off the next day in front of tens of thousands of sweaty revelers at the giant Street Scene music festival down San Diego way. Tickets for the all-ages show went on sale exclusively at the club's box office in Pomona a few days earlier for just $20 apiece. Sales were limited to two tickets per person and, of course, sold out in a heartbeat! The good thing about this whole scenario was that it led to an audience full of hungry young fans, kids who had nothing better to do than to go stand in line in Pomona in the middle of a weekday afternoon, as opposed to a crowd full of Hollywood hipsters or drunken frat house escapees just looking for somewhere to blow off a little testosterone. For Jack and Meg's part, it was a great way to fortify themselves for the long tour ahead by experiencing the energy and immediacy that only the direct, up-close-and-personal connection with a small crowd cheering and singing along just a few feet away from them could provide. The duo had played the club before way back in 2002, and apparently Jack had fond memories of the experience. The club's manager, Eric Milhouse, was quoted in the local paper as saying, "Jack liked the Glass House so much, they wanted to come back. We're super-excited to have them." And Mr. Milhouse certainly wasn't the only one! When Jack and Meg strolled out onto the stage a little after 9 p.m., the already-sweat-soaked crowd erupted in cheers. The Detroit duo immediately launched into "Blue Orchid," the current hit from their latest album, Get Behind Me Satan, before Jack took off his coat and dug into "Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground." "I Think I Smell A Rat" and Dolly Parton's immortal "Jolene" quickly followed before the crowd got a chance to catch its breath and settle in for another dozen or so White Stripes favorites, highlighted by revved-up renditions of "Let's Shake Hands," "Ball And Biscuit" and "The Hardest Button To Button."  And those two kids from the Motor City sure did manage to whip up a hell of a lot of beautiful noise with just a drum kit and a guitar--and the occasional keyboard or marimba thrown in for good measure. Jack's near-possessed, high-pitched wailing and maniacal guitar-playing combined with the intimacy of the room made it feel a bit like you were watching little Jackie White jumping around, working out his rock 'n' roll demons in his bedroom circa 1990. But whether delivering new or old songs, his ability to mine the roots of rock with such complete passion and total abandon makes it's impossible not to get caught up in his cathartic onstage experience. After a wild and woolly 50-minute set, the band departed the stage--only to return for another 35 minutes worth of music and mayhem. In addition to all the genuine rock 'n' roll madness Mr. White clearly knows how to deliver, his ability to also be simple, genuine and child-like has always been one of the band's most endearing elements. So it was a pleasure to see Jack settle down from all the entertaining guitar histrionics for a moment and pick up the acoustic for a sweet little rendition of "We're Going To Be Friends." A few songs later, "Seven Nation Army" delivered the goods everyone had been waiting for. And the classic "Boll Weevil" song provided the perfect show-closer, as Jack thanked the crowd for selling out the place (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) and promised to be back again, while exhorting everyone to sing along…"And when people ask you, 'Who sang you this song?' You tell 'em, 'It was Jackie White. He's done been here and gone. He's lookin' for a home. He's lookin' for a home!'" And from the looks of things, he just might have found one in Pomona of all places!
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—W.C. Moriarity August 2005 |
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Photos by W.C. Moriarity
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