Reviews
 Keep It Simple
Van Morrison
Roger McGuinn @ the Huntington IMAC, Long Island, NY - April 4, 2008
Emily Saxe @ the Allen Room/Jazz at Lincoln Center - April 5, 2008
Another Country
Tift Merritt
Be Your Own Pet
Get Awkward
Paul McCartney – The McCartney Years (DVD)
Juno – Music from the Motion Picture
Various Artists
Yes - Their Definitive Story
Day and Night Driving
Seven Mary Three
InterMedia Arts Center 2/2/08
Huntington, NY
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A few months ago, The Strokes were the “it” band in the music scene. These days, it’s The White Stripes.
For those of you who don’t know, The White Stripes are Jack White and Meg White. They’re brother and sister. Jack plays guitar and keyboard, while Meg plays drums. That’s it, there’s no bass player, no background singers, no weird guy dancing on stage. And let me tell you, The Stripes play some of the most powerful music out there. Yes, I know what you’re thinking, they’re only 2 people. That’s what’s so amazing, they’re only 2 people.
On Friday night April 5th, The Stripes brought their brand of rock ‘n’ roll to the Bowery Ballroom. Now after hearing my description of the band, you can tell that I was excited for this show. However, upon learning that Jack White had bronchitis, I was concerned. How could Jack “rock out” feeling so ill? I mean, I had bronchitis 2 weeks ago and was bedridden for 4 days. For Jack to pull this off would be amazing. Well, let me tell you he didn’t disappoint.
The Stripes opened with “Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground” off of their third release, “White Blood Cells”. What a number, my fears were alleviated! You couldn’t even tell that Jack was sick. His voice sounded great and his guitar playing was superb. On “Hotel Yorba,” a folksy number off of “White Blood Cells,” Meg took up backing vocals. The one thing you could tell from “Yorba” is that there’s no sibling rivalry here. These 2 really get along and it shows on stage. Meg was sticking her tongue out at Jack, while he was smiling at her. It also showed on a tune called, “Rated X.” The b-side to “Yorba” features Meg on vocals. Meg played with the crowd, while she sung about a woman who was well, “Rated X.” How scandalous! I think the high point of this show came when The Stripes performed 2 songs off of their second album, ”De Stijl.” The tracks, “You’re Pretty Good Looking” and “Hello Operator” kicked some serious butt. What a combination of vocal and guitar. Like I said earlier, if Jack was sick you wouldn’t know it. I hope those in attendance will take another listen to “De Stijl.” I know it’s not as popular as “White Blood Cells”, but there really are some gems on it.
All in all, The White Stripes didn’t disappoint at the Bowery. Tour openers, Datsun and Brendan Benson left a lot to be desired. Thankfully, The Stripes made up for them. I commend Jack White for performing with bronchitis. I know I couldn’t go out there like that. I hope those seeing The Stripes later on in the tour will get Jack at 100%. Then, you’re really in for a treat. Hey, there’s always antibiotics!
-- Bret J. Callahan
 
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