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The Warfield April 29, 2003 Review by Jake Thomas This was an entertainment filled evening from beginning to end. To start things off, rather than having house music or whatever playing in the background before and between the bands, they played cartoons instead. More specifically, Betty Boop cartoons, a number of which co-starred popular musicians of her day like Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, and others. They not only played the cartoons, they played their sound as well, and it was damn entertaining; you just can't beat the classic animation styles that sprang up in the beginning of the cartoon era, so original and fresh. It really made the waiting time fly by, and I wish more bands did this. Whirlwind Heat was the opener for the show. For those unaware, they are a band that Jack White produced as well as released their first record on his V2 backed label Third Man Records. I was a little apprehensive at first; unknowingly assuming that they would be some sort of white boy blues band; as soon as they started playing though, I soon realized why you shouldn't make assumptions. They may have had a tinge of John Spencer Blues Explosion-style white boy blues in them, but it was a small part. What they mostly sounded like was a weird combination of bands like The Seconds, Brainiac, and maybe even a little Clinic thrown in there. The band was comprised of 3 members playing drums, bass, and the occasional moog, and lots of dancing. All of their songs are named after colors, and one of them was about a 'trash bag helmet' or something like that. I made sure to get their CD as I was leaving and have been enjoying it ever since. Finally, the White Stripes were on stage. I'll have to admit I wasn't expecting much, and only came to the show on a whim. I have their last CD, but I don't really listen to it. I like it well enough, but never really yearn to hear it. That said, they put on a hell of a show. If for no other reason, it's just damned impressive that two people can produce that much noise. I've never been a big fan of technical guitar wankery, but Jack White does it well and I enjoyed seeing it. Their stage show was pretty simple, just the two of them and their gear. There was a backdrop that displayed various color displays (White Stripes style of course, in various red/white/black patterns), and a fair number of lights. They played for quite a while, almost two hours I believe. Even though I still wouldn't go so far as to consider myself a fan, I'm definitely much more interested in what their new album sounds like after hearing a lot of the songs at the show. This is one band whose hype might just be well deserved. --- Read our previous White Stripes review: March 16, 2001 @ SXSW, Ruby Tuesday's ©2003 playinginfog.com |