The Current Music Blog
< Alice Golfs! | Main | Song of the Day: Tennessee trio offer up a "Wild One" >

My ears are shot, but I'm smiling... Thx Dead Weather!

Posted at 10:20 AM on July 28, 2009 by Jim McGuinn (2 Comments)

Whoa. Having seen most of their respective prior bands (White Stripes, Raconteurs, Greenhornes, Waxwings, Kills), I knew that the members of the new "supergroup" Dead Weather could deliver onstage, but I guess I wasn't really ready for what hit the sold out crowd at last night's First Ave gig. An onslaught of blues-rock seldom witnessed since the glory dayze of early Led Zeppelin, Dead Weather came on dark and mysterious, backlit and ferocious. Alison Mosshart stalked the stage like a feral cat, often climbing onto the monitors and mounting the speakers, towering over the audience and both taunting and enticing a reaction. Dean Fertita has morphed from a Kinksian guitarist in his former band-life to a formidable presence on guitar and vintage organs, Jack Lawrence prowled and held down growly basslines from his semi-hollow blasting through a fuzzbox and a fully cranked Ampeg 8x10 rig. But even at the back of the stage you couldn't stop staring, as Jack White is this generation's consummate rockstar - making even a basic beat exciting, showing off his prowess and obvious Bonham/Moon schooling in the art of drums as foreground. Playing songs from their recent debut Horehound, it was hard to believe that this band has only played a few shows together - the interplay and exploration between all four was thrilling, no more so than when White left the kit behind to strap on a guitar and duet with Mosshart, at one point sharing a mic so close on "Will There Be Enough Water" that if I were Mrs. White I'd be a little worried.

While on the one hand there's little "new" about the music Dead Weather makes (unless you count the white-boy rapid fire hip hop lyrics in the middle of "Treat Me Like Your Mother" fused with the blues as innovation), it's been a long time since we've seen or heard anyone melt faces and own the stage quite like this, basically re-invigorating "Classic" Classic Rock, perhaps the most tired genre possible. And while there were definite highlights in the set (basically, the radio singles "Cut Like a Buffalo," "Mother," "Hang You Up from the Heavens," and Dylan cover "New Pony"), the show only lagged when the material wasn't first rate. Give these guys a few more productive weekends to craft more great songs, and they would be an unstoppable force.

Side projects don't often last to multiple tours or albums, but here's one combination among the Jack White aresenal that we hope keeps coming back around.

Listen next week for a Theft of the Dial as we turn the controls over to the Dead Weather...

Comments (2)

Great review. Wish I'd been there! (It's Horehound, however, like the candy, not Whorehound. :-) )

Posted by Katie | July 28, 2009 12:21 PM

I work at first ave and damn that show was the hit! Played a couple covers and killed it.
I get a special view of the venue as I'm usually there (First-Avenue) well before the doors open and way after the crowd is gone. I have a rare opportunity to meet the acts so I had to get a autograph, as Jack White played pinball (dungeons and dragons) I walked up and got him to sign my laptop. Then dead weather played pool for about an hour or so and just chilled out.

Posted by Pete Mac | July 31, 2009 10:38 PM

July 2009
S M T W T F S
      1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30 31  


Master Archive
Recent Entries
Tools
Categories
Services
Become a Sponsor