Raconteurs Rock Detr...er, Ann Arbor!

What a day this was. A 6 hour drive turned into 8 because of the crazy border. We nearly ran out of gas, I had the best meal of my life, bought some lingerie, ate awesome Doritos, got screwed over by the Duty Free shop and almost died at the hands of some Detroit gangstas.

The show was quite the spectacle too. The hometown boys had family in the audience, I saw Ben Blackwell (of the Dirtbombs, Jack's cousin) before the show, and there were even reports of Iggy Pop sightings. Sweet.

The gorgeous venue was seated, not the best choice for a Jack-led rocking affair, but I understand the appeal. Jack, Brendan and the boys powered through a 12 song set which included everything from the debut album (sans "Call It A Day") as well as a few covers; Nancy Sinatra's "Bang Bang" and Ron Davies' "It Ain't Easy" spring to mind.

The sound was less than spectacular, from where I was sitting anyways. Ear splitting guitar riffs and the occasional jab of feedback overpowered the vocals and dulled some of the most potentially rockin' moments. But it was impossible not to feed off of the fun they were having on stage.

Jack White as a performer is completely mesmerizing. I probably spent about 80% of the time watching him. He just demands your attention. Though "Little" Jack Lawrence is fun to watch too, he's in his own little world behind the hair and glasses, just be-boppin' away.

The show was good. Not near as good as the Virgin Festival show that I'll post about next, but good. Oh, the meal was the baby back ribs from Chili's, in case you were wondering.