A few days before his shows in New York City, Jack White released a statement on Instagram (a development that wouldn't have been as surprising before Bob Dylan joined TikTok) to respond to critics regarding the duration of his current stage performances.
“I understand that we're in an era where people tend to say ‘so and so performed for three hours last night!’ and boast about it the next day,” he noted. “I have no intention of ‘impressing’ anyone in that regard. The Beatles and the Ramones did sets of about 30 minutes, and if I could, I would do the same in my current performing phase.
The 49-year-old continued: “I’ve never held back in my life, whether it’s 20 minutes or 2 hours; I’m delivering what the audience inspires me to do, and that doesn’t mean a louder cheer will make it longer either! Haha. There’s no setlist, and it’s not a Marvel movie or a Vegas show; it’s rock and roll, and it’s a living, breathing thing.”
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True to every word he stands by, the head of Third Man Records heated up snow-dusted NYC shortly after. From February 10th to 12th, he played consecutive shows as part of his ongoing concert series, and on his second night in the city, he and his band took the stage at the Kings Theater to reinforce his point for what felt like the thousandth time.
However, there are some notable differences in the Jack White experience this time around. In the last decade, he collaborated with Yondr to keep his audience from using their smartphones during his performances, but that restriction has now been lifted. The No Name Tour, like the unnamed album it derives its title from, serves as a straightforward rock exhibition — a four-member band performing in relatively small venues without any staging, props, or visuals … just unrefined, live music.
It's important to mention that the 'No Name' album was released with no prior promotion or marketing to showcase that music alone can maximize a product's potential, and the associated tour essentially follows that principle.
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With support from drummer Patrick Keeler (The Raconteurs), bassist Dominic Davis, and keyboardist Bobby Emmett, the Detroit native delivered an hour-long set followed by a thirty-minute encore in Brooklyn’s Flatbush neighborhood on Tuesday night. While many artists risk alienating fans by overplaying new material, White has remained at the top of his game for over two decades, as his fanbase has supported him through every transition. For him, having audience members frowning at or failing to recognize his songs has never been a concern.
The concert featured several new solo tracks like ‘It’s Rough On Rats (If You’re Asking)’, ‘Underground’, and ‘That’s How I’m Feeling’, along with selections from previous albums such as ‘Highball Stepper’ and ‘What’s Done Is Done’. Looking back, he performed several White Stripes hits, including ‘The Hardest Button To Button’, ‘Black Math’, ‘Hotel Yorba’, and the lesser-known ‘Let’s Build A Home’ from De Stijl, in addition to ‘Broken Boy Soldier’ and ‘Steady As She Goes’ by the Raconteurs. Early in the set, White also paid tribute to his lifelong blues idol Robert Johnson with a rendition of ‘Little Queen Of Spades’.
Throughout the show, it was unclear whether the 12-time Grammy winner was dealing with malfunctioning equipment or simply keeping his guitar technician alert by frequently adjusting and swapping out his instruments, sometimes multiple times during a single song.
In any case, this is Jack White at his most authentic.
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Since the White Stripes disbanded in 2011, the 49-year-old has embraced all the practices he previously denied himself while having Meg White by his side — truthfully, what more could an unpredictable artist like him ask for than a drummer who matched his pace for 14 straight years?
After a decade of exploring various styles since then, he is now fully committed to creating within self-imposed limits that showcase his best work.
As a seasoned blues and country purist, he no longer wants anything to obscure his artistry. Jack White is a musician by profession, and he is now touring the world to remind everyone that the blue hair, flashy music videos, and whimsical antics take a backseat to the unstoppable force that is his sound.
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Jack White is set to perform in France, the Netherlands, the UK, Japan, the US, and Canada as part of his No Name Tour in the coming months.
Words: Karan Singh Photography: David Swanson
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A few days before his shows in New York City, Jack White posted a statement on Instagram, which would have been much more unexpected in the past.