kevin barnett

After a rave review from Monday’s night show and persistence that I was witness to one of three performances by The White Stripes in Chicago - Luke tipped me off to a Craigslist posting with tickets to tonight’s show below face value.

Ok, sure why not.

We missed the opener, Brendan Benson - not a tragedy since we saw him earlier this year. Arrived at the Auditorium Theater @ Roosevelt University downtown just in time for the Stripes’ set.

It was rockin. Loved the set decor, the plethora of instruments on stage and the fact that it’s just Jack and Meg - no backup band, no sequenced tracks/effects, and definitely no sync’ed vocals. They’re raw, minimalist and high energy. And they love music they’re playing.

Before too long into the set, I began to think that they were playing Get Behind Me Satan in its entirety.

Well, THEY DID.

Blue Orchid
The Nurse
My Doorbell
Forever For Her
Little Ghost
The Denial Twist
White Moon
Instinct Blues
Passive Manipulation
Take Take Take (abridged)
As Ugly As I Seem (new verses)
Red Rain
I’m Lonely

Encore/second half:

When I Hear My Name
Dead Leaves
Black Math
I Think i Smell a Rat (riff) > Take a Whiff on Me > Cannon riff
John the Revelator
Hotel Yorba
Death Letter
Lafayette Blues
Same Boy You’ve Always Known
St. James Infirmary Blues
Hardest Button to Button
Seven Nation Army
Boll Weevil

(Yes, I had some help with the second part of the setlist from a ’stripes message board.)

I was a fan, now I’m a big fan. I can understand why the audience had plenty of kids, 20somethings, 30somethings, 40somethings, 50somethings and maybe 60somethings - they’re just damn good, clean fun. Jack and Meg White are sexy, crafty musicians and outstanding performers.

Dev and I will never forget the 50-60somethings rockin out to Blue Orchid driving away from the show…thinking about it will always make me smile.

I was just listening to The White Stripes - The Denial Twist

Fig 1. New Orleans bitch slapped by Hurricane Katrina - source: Getty Images

I know something about hurricanes. But not that much. Apparently, my sleeping habits haven’t changed much since I was 5 because I slept through the worst of the storm which my parents have described as a full-size train outside the boarded-up windows. Even though there was no damage to the house (somehow the large, 100+ trees all fell AROUND the house) - my father will say that he regrets staying for the storm because of what could have happened.

I look at New Orleans and other scenes from Katrina’s path and I understand why he would feel foolish. The United States hasn’t seen that kind of destruction from a natural distaster since .

So I’m looking with a sense of awe (I do that for most violent storms), a sense of humility and sympathy.

Fig 2. New Orleans completely fucked by Hurricane Katrina - source: AP

I’ve been reading the news - and a blog when I can find a good one. The stories coming out, so far are pretty bad and the images are impressively horrifying. Despite that, I have faith that the people effected by the storm are going to recover and rebuild.

However, I have this uneasy feeling about the level of support that will be mustered around the country. I’m wondering how people are going to react to this disaster - will it be similar in the way people reacted to the Indian Ocean tsunami? Granted, I think the deep south was - and still is pretty far ahead from that part of the world. But does that mindset spoil the fact that there are plenty of people in need here in the United States? So far I’ve seen more stories on global warming than I have on aid and support.

Even though I think global warming is an issue everyone needs to be focused on and talking about, I think we can wait a few days to politicize the disaster.

Hurricane Relief Efforts, Donations

I was just listening to Mindy Smith - Jolene