Who could have expected that the person keeping rock and roll alive would look like a Tim Burton character?
The spectrally pale rocker Jack White performed at Columbia Township Auditorium Wednesday night, and the Ghost of Rock 'n' Roll Past brought his retro rock showmanship in spades. White cofounded The White Stripes, one of the most prominent garage and blues rock bands of our time, along with The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather. Since the The White Stripes' split in 2011, White has been enjoying a robust solo career.
He brought every lick of that experience to his show last night, stopping at nothing to energize the crowd. After an extended procession of rap that played while the curtains were down, White sonically burst in with a crackerjack guitar solo. Then the curtains parted, and White was center stage looking every bit like a playboy vampire.
Over the guitar riff heavy opening, White proved just what decades of rock 'n' roll experience will do for you, wielding his guitar like an extension of his own arms. His wild licks and thrashing head messed up his pompadour, but don't worry — he had a comb ready on stage and soon tamed it again.
The man was rocking so hard that he snuck in the surf rock version of Misirlou, famously used as "Pulp Fiction's" opening theme. But, as any White Stripes fan knows, he has more modes than shredding. Soon he put to good use his eclectic backing band, which had a cello, violins, an acoustic guitar, a harmonica and a theremin (that instrument you play by moving your hands over it).
The band's diverse talents shone through as White transitioned to more folksy, bluesy songs. He hopped over to a piano and showed off his singer-songwriter chops, crooning a number of songs off of his newest record "Lazaretto."
Then, White revisited some duet classics with fiddle and mandolin player Lillie Mae Rische. The two sang ubiquitous White Stripes single "We're Going To Be Friends" and then White sang the soulful "Sugar Never Tasted So Good." As White finished off the pre-encore show with the triumphant "Blunderbuss," it became clear just how many hits the man has crafted over his career.
That point was hammered home when he returned with "Fell In Love With a Girl," an irresistible ditty that had the crowd bumping, and the washed out The Raconteurs rock song "Steady As She Goes" kept up the momentum.
Then White went out with a bang, unleashing megahit "Seven Nation Army" as a finisher. He had the crowd chanting its iconic note progression as he smoothly sang out its anthemic lyrics.
During the show, White took a moment to reflect on just how many Columbia's there were: the city, the country, the district. All named after Christopher Columbus, who White marked a fraud.
"You make the truth," he said, and cautioned against repeating the lie of Columbus's importance.
It was a tinge of classic White eccentricity in a raucous rock performance. Don't let the cello and bowtie fool you — Jack White brought down the house.