December 17, 2024

Jack White – The Powerstation December 16, 2024 (13th Floor Concert Review)

Jack White brought his No Name Tour to Auckland last night with a last-minute show at The Powerstation before the previously-scheduled gig tonight at the Town Hall.

They call Keith Richards “The Human Riff”, but last night Jack White proved to be ‘The Superhuman Riff’ as his guitar playing powered 18 of his songs, driving the lucky fans who were able to score tickets into a frenzy they will no doubt not come down from till the new year.

Ripship

Pōneke-based psych-rock duo Ripship got the night off to an early start. They are Callum Lincoln (guitar/vocals) and Eva-Rae McLean (drums/vocals). I’m sure the band’s configuration helped them land this tasty opening slot.

The duo did a good job of setting the vibe as punters wandered in from the still-light Mt Eden Road. Like most others in the venue I didn’t pay a lot of attention to their set as I was meeting and greeting and bracing myself for what was to come.

Click here to learn more about Ripship.

Jack White

The Powerstation was packed when the headliners finally took the stage. White’s band includes Raconteurs drummer Patrick Keeler, bassist Dominic Davis and keyboard player Bobby Emmett who is known for his work with Sturgill Simpson.

The three musicians locked into a jam with White taking centre stage, guitar in hand to rip in to the set’s first song, Old Scratch Blues, which is also the new album’s opening track.

From the very start it was clear this was a tight band and Jack White was the leader. The other three remained in the shadows as White wailed on his guitar.

I don’t know why, but until now, I’ve never really thought of Jack White as a standout guitar-slinger….and I’ve seen him on a few occasions…but tonight he proved he should be spoken of in the same breath as Beck, Page and Ronson (Jimi was an entity unto himself).

Jack White

It’s Jimmy Page who Jack White most resembles style-wise…big blues-based riffs that hit you in the gut and stay with you long after he has unplugged. Let’s face it; Seven Nation Army is probably as well-known as Whole Lotta Love.

The different is that Page did his best work on record (I’ve seen him live several times and he was sloppy at best) while White’s playing comes alive on stage. Both are creative, talented players, but I’d like to make the case that at this moment in time, Jack White is our greatest living rock guitarist.

Ok, enough gushing…on with the show.

White and the band played tunes from every facet of his career going back to the first White Stripes album and through The Racontours, The Dead Weather and his solo stuff.

He himself commented that they’d played something from “every band I’ve ever been in”…naming faux groups such as The Blades Of Grass, The Sidewalk Ends, The Undone Dishes and The Self-Cleaning Ovens. Actually his pre-White Stripes band was called The Upholsterers, so, there you go.

Aside from White’s guitar slinging, what I most appreciated about tonight’s show was how they managed to segue from one song to the next seamlessly. There was never any down-time for tuning. This is especially impressive given that they play a different set list every night. So this is no slick “by-the-numbers” show, it’s a living, breathing, rocking experience.

Whether it was an old favourite or something from the new album, White and the band used the songs as templates, as jumping off points to allow themselves to really play, making each song a unique performance unto itself.

The audience was with them from the first note, singing along to tune number two, That’s How I’m Feeling, with little to no encouragement.

Jack White

Hotel Yorba was a joyful celebration while Broken Boy Soldier was a mid-set highlight, with White changing guitars halfway through, never missing a beat.

The set ended with Ball And Biscuit from 2003’s Elephant album, and they were sounding their most Zeppelin-like.

We all needed a breather and we got one before the four-song encore that finished with the mightiest riff of the night, Seven Nation Army.

At one point Jack picked an acoustic guitar, but thought better of it, making this a night of electric rock and roll from beginning to end and possibly being the best live show of a year full of impressive concerts.

Marty Duda

Click on any image to view a photo gallery by David James Swanson: