Jack White settled into a captivating two and a half hour performance on the What Stage Saturday night at Bonnaroo, proving his well-deserved headlining spot.
After opening the show with The White Stripes’ “Icky Thump,” White, along with his six-piece band, dove into “Highball Stepper,” a shrilling instrumental off his sophomore solo album “Lazaretto,” which he released last week
“Come on, Tennessee!” He yelled moments later under his signature powder blue lighting. “I know you. Everybody else is just visiting. It’s just you and me now.”
White–a natural and compelling storyteller–took several opportunities during the performance to grace the audience with anecdotes and words of wisdom, creating a personal atmosphere between himself and the crowd.
As the night progressed, the audience sang along to favorites such as “We’re Going to be Friends” by The White Stripes, along with The Raconteurs’ “Steady As She Goes,” among others.
The remainder of White’s set included a wide variety of songs, spanning from solo projects to his endeavors with The Raconteurs, The Dead Weather and The White Stripes.
Clearly not finished with his set, White briefly looked up in confusion as fireworks exploded over the crowd, something that usually signifies the end of a performance. After a few moments, White willingly finished with The White Stripes’ “Ball and Biscuit” and Led Zeppelin’s “The Lemon Song.”
However, the audience knew better. As soon as White exited the stage, the crowd began humming the guitar riff from The White Stripes’ well-known anthem “Seven Nation Army.”
After what seemed like an eternity, the band slowly migrated back to the stage. However, the crowd didn’t stop chanting until White appeared in the azure hue.
“Are you with me?” White shouted upon returning to the stage. “If you want me to stop now, I’ll stop now. I’m at the service of you.”
White and company proceeded to play a lengthy encore which included several songs from The White Stripes’ catalog, as well as “Sixteen Saltines” and “Love Interruption,” both of which are from his 2012 solo album “Blunderbuss.”
White closed his show with an expected, but highly anticipated “Seven Nation Army” sing-along.
Follow us on Facebook at MTSU Sidelines and on Twitter at @mtsusidelines and @sidelines_life for more reviews and photo galleries from Bonnaroo 2014.
