Jack White-Entering Heaven Alive album review

 

Jack White’s second new album of the year, Entering Heaven Alive, is drastically different from his previous, Fear of the Dawn, released this past April, but it isn’t out of place in his widely varying catalog which explores elements of almost every type of American music. Rather than continuing with Fear of the Dawn’s tone of fast-paced, garage rock experiments, Entering Heaven Alive slows the speed and lowers the volume as keyboards and synthesizers give way to pianos and organs, and White’s signature electric guitar work (mostly) takes a back seat to rhythmic acoustic country, folk, and Americana. These songs were all written and recorded during the pandemic lockdown, but they were grouped onto separate LPs and released just over three months apart, also allowing White’s ongoing tour to change or vary in tone as the year continues to unfold. While some tracks feature members of White’s current backing band, and a few include members of The Raconteurs and other Third Man Records favorites sitting in as well, White himself handles most of the instruments and all of the vocals here.

"A Tip from You to Me" immediately changes the tone from the previous album and sets a new one for the songs to come. It serves well as a palate cleanser, especially if both albums are being played back-to-back. "All Along the Way" is a well-arranged and performed song but isn't very engaging. This particular track is very slow and doesn’t keep listener’s attention as well as most of White’s songs. "Help Me Along" is an ode to White’s daughter, Scarlett, which although very sweet is even slower and less-engaging than “All Along the Way” and seems to be more sentimental and personal than something for the audience. Musically and lyrically, "Help Me Along" recalls parts of Paul McCartney’s “Here, There, and Everywhere” but focuses on the parent-child relationship rather than a one between romantic partners. It is also the album’s longest song which could have been improved with one or two fewer verses. 

"Love Is Selfish" is the album’s lead single, released even before Fear of the Dawn, and arguably the strongest track here. One of many songs to feature only Jack White himself with no other musicians present, "Love Is Selfish" stands out for also being the simplest arranged track, giving the listener only White's vocals and sharp acoustic guitar work. Musically, it comes across as a mature variant of the progression in The White Stripes’ “We’re Going to Be Friends” but deals with the very adult themes of internal frustrations and difficulties communicating within and maintaining a romantic relationship rather than the optimistic view of school children excited to run out to recess or walk home from school together. On "I’ve Got You Surrounded," White’s signature electric guitar noodling finally makes an appearance although in a subdued performance compared to most of his louder songs. This one is engaging and built more so around rhythms and repeated lines of music and lyrics that are both less concrete than the album’s previous tracks and maintain the overall tone of the record and flow of the track listing.

Side two is a bit stronger and more adventurous than the first side, so be sure to give these tracks a try even if the first five songs aren’t necessarily as interesting. "Queen of the Bees" was originally released as a B-side of the “Hi-De-Ho” single (from Fear of the Dawn) and is an ode to White’s wife, musician Olivia Jean, whom White married on stage in Detroit on the first night of his 2022 tour (and the day of Fear of the Dawn’s release). This piece stands out partly due to the more comical approach to the lyrics and the uncharacteristic use of xylophone as a primary percussion throughout, giving it a lighter vibe than most of the songs on the album though it is also the shortest track included. "A Tree on Fire from Within" returns to the personal metaphors and introspective commentary that is featured in most of Entering Heaven Alive’s songs. The piano performance and production here connects this track a bit more than most of the others to mid-tempo songs from White’s first two solo LPs, which were not dissimilar in their inclusion of both “louder” and “quieter” songs, but on Blunderbuss and Lazaretto, there were fewer of each and they were mixed together onto one LP instead of separated by tone and presented as two different sets of music. "If I Die Tomorrow" is the album’s 8th track and second single and is even slower and less radio-ready than “Love Is Selfish” but connects directly to lyrics and sentiments from Fear of the Dawn’s rocking “What’s the Trick?” which was that album’s 8^th track as well. Where both songs are reflective and introspective, the louder track seems to diagnose how behavioral choices affect others where the quieter song focuses more seriously on the thoughts and requests of someone on their deathbed or maybe who has recently passed, where love and care for family far outweigh lesser-significant mortal worries.

"Please God, Don’t Tell Anyone" is another acoustic/piano song which starts similarly to some of the others but includes clever and relatable lyrics that can be as significant to White as they may be personally interpreted by the listener, recalling tracks like Blunderbuss’ “I Guess I Should Go to Sleep” and Lazaretto’s “Alone in My Home.” The song also builds on the questions and themes of the previous track, moving from communicating with loved ones just before or just after death to engaging in a meeting with God him/her/itself in the afterlife. This kind of narrative lyric has been a part of American folk, Gospel, and country for over 100 years, but White’s own modern twist on it reboots it for the current century (or at least for the current decade). "A Madman from Manhattan" is a gem hidden close to the end of the album which is also its most experimental song with a poetic, hip-hop lyric that could be delivered a cappella in a coffee shop as well as it is presented here with musical accompaniment. Thematically and lyrically dense, “A Madman from Manhattan” seems to avoid obvious ties with the themes of the album’s other songs but may be commenting on some of them from perspectives of other characters, especially with the song’s two-part arrangement where it becomes something different in the final third. "Taking Me Back (Gently)" is the album’s closer is one of its best and most clever moments as White presents a completely different (acoustic/Americana) style arrangement of the song that opens Fear of the Dawn (with a fair amount of electric guitar fury and fuzzy synthesizer by comparison). 70 minutes is a long way to go to get to this particular pay-off, but if both albums are played back to back as one piece, it both allows the music to end where it began with an alternate version of the same song, or better yet, if the albums are presented on a back-to-back loop, “Taking Me Back” plays twice in a row as the song cycle changes back from quiet to loud and starts over again. The detail that went into replicating the many layers of the first version of the song in this second, quiet version is extremely impressive.

Overall, Entering Heaven Alive is as equally well-produced and performed as any of Jack White’s many other records, but it is a bit underwhelming coming so soon after a much more engaging and dazzling album and loses even more interest for being mainly presented in one tone rather than mixing together the songs from both albums into a great double LP or even two separate but more balanced albums that featured some of the louder and quieter songs together. Arguably, White’s decision to separate them is the theme that makes these two records stand out as unique compared to his previous work, but where that adds to the strength of the first, it also contributes to the slight weakness of the second. Ironically, without Fear of the Dawn to compare it to, Entering Heaven Alive might have received a stronger delivery and reception.

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Jack White-Fear of the Dawn album review

Just over two months after its release, and nearing the half-way point of 2022, now is a good time to take a moment to acknowledge the album of the year (so far), Jack White’s amazing fourth solo LP, Fear of the Dawn. Building on the experimentation of his previous album, Boarding House Reach, but tempering some of that record’s weirdness with more traditional rock sounds and changes, White’s new collection packs fast-paced and up-tempo numbers nearly straight through, includes not more than 30 second of filler, and rocks hard enough to please arty alternative types and blues-rock historians alike. Fear of the Dawn is both an excellent rock album in its own right and is also the first of a two-part concept piece, shared with the soon-to-be-released Entering Heaven Alive, which is said to be a much quieter, acoustic-based album to balance the louder, noise-driven tracks featured here. Fear of the Dawn captures the tones of a dark, anxious night and flows well as a unified piece with transitions sometimes unnoticeable between tracks reminiscent of some of Rick Rubin’s best productions.

Performing many of the instruments and vocal tracks himself with occasional support from his current backing band and a few notable guests, White is in complete control from start to finish here. Kicking things off with the first single, “Taking Me Back,” a noisy synth-rock jam that sets the stage for most of the rest of the album, White carefully weaves in various tones and textures from track to track that make each song unique while maintaining a shared thread, both in the tone of the production and within the titles and lyrics of the songs, most commenting on the night, the moon, the darkness, and the coming morning in some way. The title track is a blistering garage-punk assault that packs the most attitude here, along with “What’s the Trick?” from the top of side two. “The White Raven” features a number of seemingly disjointed guitar sections that work well together when assembled. “Hi-De-Ho,” inspired by and including an intro sample from the legendary Cab Calloway, features guest vocals from Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest, sitting in with White after befriending and working with him on Tribe’s final album a few years ago and allowing White to continue exploring elements of hip hop within his own music. “Eosophobia” is probably the stand-out guitar moment of the album and ended up being jammed out so much and so long in the studio that after a fade-out ending, the song fades in again as a reprise with even more guitar acrobatics on the second side. “Into the Twilight,” one of the album's most experimental and non-traditional songs, is another extended jam session but this time built around samples from The Manhattan Transfer, perhaps one of the least-predictable and least-hip artists to consider putting together with White, and a notable quote from the late poet, William S. Burroughs. The oddness of the musical pairing only makes the brilliant groove of the song more pronounced.

Jack White’s virtuosic guitar playing continues to impress and may just now be reaching its technical peak. White seems to control his primary instrument with such effortless fluidity it almost sounds more natural for him to do than singing or maybe even breathing at this point. With respect to the great Josh Homme and his assorted guitar-playing friends in the extended Queens of the Stone Age camp, no other guitarist has better established themselves and their unique, signature style better than White, and none better connect the best elements of Jimmy Page with the innovative experimentation of Tom Morello. White’s sound goes beyond production techniques and carefully-monitored settings on his equipment; it comes through clearly just in the songwriting itself, regardless of the volume, tempo, the players on the track or the instruments being played.

After a short instrumental interlude at the album’s halfway point (“Dusk”), the album’s final single, “What’s the Trick?” takes center stage and re-establishes the tone of classic White tracks such as “That Black Bat Licorice,” “Ice Station Zebra,” and “Everything You’ve Ever Learned,” partly scolding the listener while attempting to inspire action, ambition, or even White possibly speaking to himself in the third person. “That Was Then, This Is Now” and “Morning, Noon, and Night” both fit the vibe and flow of the album well and certainly rock plenty hard but don’t stand out quite as memorably as the rest of the songs. Having said that, even those tracks are immaculately produced and mixed as the rest of them (primarily by White himself). The album’s much quieter closing number, “Shedding My Velvet,” has been explained to be a preview of the next LP and a bridge from the end of the louder portion into the quieter collection of music ahead. Those songs will presumably share thematical and lyrical content as well, but it will be interesting to put the two together and to see how White organized this large batch of original songs that were written and recorded around the same time over the last year-and-a-half.

Fans of White’s many other albums and projects will feel right at home with Fear of the Dawn, and its ultra-modern, sleek, rock sound will no doubt grab the attention of younger rock fans and curious parties who may only remember White’s work on a particular song or with a certain group in the past (or who may not yet realize he is the songwriting genius behind the inescapable “Seven Nation Army,” which long ago transcended from rock history to folk song status). Those who may have felt some of the experimentation on Lazaretto and Boarding House Reach were not quite their cup of tea may find a good portion of Fear of the Dawn more to their liking with its balance of traditional elements with occasional experimental sounds or arrangements. Without a doubt, this collection of songs is the album of 2022 so far, and probably the best rock record of the last year-and-a-half, overall. Having said that, could the second half of this batch of music be as good or even better? It’s notable that in these post-modern days where rock has splintered and fragmented into countless subgenres which keep most new acts from breaking through to the degree of new artists in the ‘90s and ‘00s, Jack White’s greatest competition may be himself.

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Red Hot Chili Peppers Unlimited Love Album Review

 

Unlimited Love, the latest LP by alternative rock legends, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and their 12^th album overall, is a lot to digest. Even before dropping the needle on the record itself, it’s impossible to not take into account the return of guitarist/vocalist, John Frusciante, back for the second time after initially quitting the band in 1992 and again in 2009, and the return of long-time producer, RickRubin, who was not involved with the band’s previous LP, The Getaway. This particular reuniting of the classic band and production line-up from ’89-’92 and ’99-’06, most notably on Blood Sugar Sex Magik, the band’s best and most successful album, resulted in Unlimited Love which seeks to emulate that classic album so much that it also has the same number of songs (17) and the same approximate runtime (73 minutes). Unfortunately, the new songs are not as good or as strong as those on that nearly-untouchable masterpiece, but perhaps the attempt to work toward that level still resulted in the best-possible songs this older version of the same band can produce at this point.

Unlimited Love is packed with varied tones and tempos featuring RHCP’s traditional sounds and musical elements, including mega-funky bass from Flea, hard-hitting drums from Chad Smith, and layered guitar and vocal wizardry from Anthony Kiedis and Frusciante, a style earlier versions of the band began to make famous nearly 40 years ago, continue to make up the bulk of the new material. A dense album with lots of information and varied emotions throughout, it may be best enjoyed in quarters, based on the side breaks present on the double LP vinyl version of the album, but it works well as a full piece as nearly all of their other albums also do. One could say the album’s length could be an intimidating factor that might detract potential listeners or that the band could have removed three or four songs to make it a bit more digestible, but this has been a common criticism of pretty much everything they’ve done since 1991. There are even vintage reviews of Blood Sugar Sex Magik that argue it would be improved with five fewer songs, but I would be hard pressed to name more than one track from that record I could go without (and they didn’t even include “Soul to Squeeze” among the 17 they chose!) Fast numbers like “Here Ever After” and groovy mid-tempo tracks like “It’s Only Natural,” “She’s a Lover,” and “Poster Child,” the album’s best track, stand out the most, but each song spins the band’s classic sounds into something new.

The album opens with the lead single, “Black Summer,” which is a fine introduction to the collection of songs that follow but isn’t necessarily the most representative of those other songs. With such a wide variety of sounds and styles throughout the record, however, it’s tough to imagine any one track being more representative of the overall sound, so that choice might have come down to the process of elimination. “Aquatic Mouth Dance” stands out for its amazing bass work and lush chorus vocal harmonies, but other elements in the song are more run-of-the-mill, even with the jazzy horns on the bridge which RHCP have occasionally included as far back as 1985. “Not the One” is arguably a tough choice to follow next as it slows the tempo down drastically, and while full of pained beauty akin to a classic like “I Could Have Lied,” this particular slow jam is not the band’s strongest.

“Poster Child” opens side two with a very engaging groove and flow that thematically seems to almost be an update of Reunion’s classic ‘70s hit, “Life Is a Rock (but the radio rolled me),” complete with the long list of references to various artists from throughout rock history. Similar to “Not the One,” the guitar work in “The Great Apes” is amazing, but other elements of the song are less engaging. “It’s Only Natural,” the album’s second ballad, is a better song with more depth and emotional weight than “Not the One,” recalling some of the introspective, mid-tempo songs on Stadium Arcadium, arguably a masterpiece in its own right. Killer guitar work on that track also.

Lyrically, Kiedis continues to explore a variety of topics but has grown stronger with personal and introspective comments and reflections, especially since the many excellent songs on By the Way, released 20 years ago. A few moments dip back into the stuttering rapped vocals of the band’s ‘80s albums, but Kiedis notably avoids referencing many specific places or locations in the lyrics this time around which is sort of a nice break from a device that had kind of become predictable and a bit repetitive.

“These Are the Ways,” leads off the more musically-adventurous third side and is also the album’s third and most recent single. Slower verses give way to a faster chorus and a bridge that leans harder than ever into grunge rock, with sounds that might be more at home on a Nirvana album, both a salute to that significant era in rock history and a bit of a musical flex by the band. “Whatchu Thinkin’” features a groovy, plodding bass and more amazing guitar work from Frusciante where “Bastards of Light” is built around ‘80s synth sounds and nicely-layered acoustic guitars during the chorus and another turn toward grunge during the bridge, making for a nice dynamic blend within the song. “White Braids & Pillow Chair” begins like a standard mid-tempo Chili’s number but has a beautiful vocal arrangement between Kiedis and Frusciante on the chorus and an urgent tempo change during the coda, which also shouts out to the San Franciscan pioneers of psychedelic rock for “leading the way.” Side three ends with “One Way Traffic,” probably the most derivative track on the album, but like the rest of them, it would fit in well next to other songs from the back catalog if it were included in a concert performance.

The albums wraps up with four songs on the fourth side, starting with “Veronica,” a particularly varied track that more so changes between three different songs within it, each with a different sound and speed. “Let ‘Em Cry” continues the band’s tradition of saving or sneaking in some of the strongest tracks closer to the end of the album, this one featuring a fantastic groove between Flea and Frusciante and a better-utilized horn section, somewhat in the flavor of a classic Funkadelic track. “The Heavy Wing” stands out as Frusciante’s strongest vocal moment of the record, recalling the moments in the ‘00s when he was closer to being a co-lead singer with Kiedis rather than a guitarist who does occasional harmony vocals, similar to and around the same time as System of a Down’s Daron Malakian. The closing number, “Tangelo,” brings things down for a quiet conclusion that fits its position well.

Unlimited Love sounds like a mature version of the band that made the famous “California Trilogy” of ’99-’06 the way that version of the band sounded like a maturing version of the group that made Blood Sugar Sex Magik. Each stage of the process has featured more wisdom and experience and less youthful excess over time. What’s notable is how the band can maintain their sound in spite of this growth and work the two into something new rather than be sidelined or road-blocked by an inability to merge them or having them work against each other, not allowing the band to even possibly continue. Calling it a day after 40 years would be nothing to be ashamed about, but true artists and musicians write and perform because they need to just as much as they want to, and it’s a testament to the longevity of this particular band that they are still here and still with us (as they reminded us they were in the title of another recent album), especially after years of turmoil and internal drama, and even if it is a wiser or even slightly diminished version of what it once was, this collection of musicians still creates a beautiful blend of sounds that is unique to them and is immediately recognizable.

If you are a fan of the band’s many other excellent songs and albums, you are likely to really enjoy at least half of Unlimited Love, if not more. Being a well-established act like Red Hot Chili Peppers, for listeners who are just getting familiar with them, this new album is probably not the place to start, as it is more a culmination of their long career rather than a groundbreaking or majorly innovative step forward. Having said that, it will still take a lot to beat it this year in terms of the best new rock albums, at least aside from Jack White’s new material, and the Chilis are experiencing a warm welcome back as they embark on the first leg of the big U.S. tour for it.

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Echoes of Pink Floyd Dazzle Kalamazoo

 

The beautiful State Theatre in Kalamazoo hosted a wonderful night of solid classic rock greatness from Echoes of Pink Floyd, Michigan’s premiere tribute to the prog-rock legends, who themselves stopped touring in 1994. A few recent line-up changes aside, Echoes performed with well-rehearsed focus and captured the emotion of most songs’ original recordings live on stage and against an amazing light and laser show that engaged fans and newcomers alike throughout the night. While they are not the first or the last rock band to pay tribute to Pink Floyd, Echoes has built a loyal regional fan base and puts on a fantastic show every time they perform.

Structured similar to a traditional Floyd concert, with no opening act and a 20-minute intermission half-way through, the night began with a slow, moody introduction on the first half of the “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” suite (parts I-V on the original album’s track listing), and the band immediately followed with the three biggest surprises and least-predictable songs of the night. Syd Barrett’s psychedelic assault, “Astronomy Domine,” paired well with the flashing lasers and strobe lights, even if many in attendance were not familiar with it. Two songs from Pink Floyd’s later, David Gilmour-led, era were included next, and then the band got into its core repertoire of Floyd classics from ’73-’79, the band’s peak years in terms of both songwriting and overall success.

A spirited take on “Pigs” from the Animals album featured a great talk box guitar solo from Rich Martin and excellent bass work from Tom Beller, especially during the high notes in the pre-verses. Without specifically announcing or explaining they were doing so, the band next launched into a track-for-track run through the entire Dark Side of the Moon LP, but unlike other performances where this is an advertised selling point, they allowed the audience to piece it together themselves as the show progressed. They also notably placed the intermission half-way through that portion of the show during what would be the side break on the original vinyl edition and continued with the entire second side to open the second set.

Following the show-stopping vocal performance by Shelby Jo Zemla on “The Great Gig in the Sky,” the intermission break,  and the rest of Dark Side of the Moon, Echoes leaned mostly into highlights from The Wall, including the first five songs in order and a powerful conclusion of “Young Lust,” “Comfortably Numb,” and, as an encore, “Run Like Hell.” The performance of “Wish You Were Here” near the end of the second set was well-played but stood out even more due to the inclusion of a technical, extended flute solo by Dan Giacobazzi in lieu of the traditional guitar and vocal outro.

As a replacement for an actual Pink Floyd show, Echoes of Pink Floyd don’t completely capture everything, but they do a consistently good job of executing transitions and changes within and between songs and provide an opportunity for Floyd fans to gather together to enjoy and celebrate the excellent music of one of their favorite bands whom they no longer have the option to see perform. Unlike Beatles tributes and others where the musicians are actors playing the roles and musical positions of the individuals for whom they are standing in, Echoes does a great job of doling out vocal duties among different members of the group based on whose voice would best handle the different segments of signing. For younger fans recently discovering Pink Floyd’s music, Echoes’ show is a great opportunity to connect with the songs a bit more by seeing them live and getting introduced to a few songs they may not already know while enjoying the lights and lasers at the same time. For long-time fans, Echoes provides a chance to re-live favored live moments from different eras of the band and to celebrate their magical music with others in their families and with a room full of other Pink Floyd fans alike. Don’t miss a chance to see this dazzling tribute experience!

Echoes of Pink Floyd set list:

Shine On You Crazy Diamond (pts. 1-5)

Astronomy Domine

What Do You Want from Me?

Learning to Fly

Pigs

Speak to Me

Breathe

On the Run

Time

Breathe (reprise)

The Great Gig in the Sky

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Money

Us and Them

Any Colour You Like

Brain Damage

Eclipse

In the Flesh?

The Thin Ice

Another Brick in the Wall (pt. 1)

The Happiest Days of Our Lives

Another Brick in the Wall (pt. 2)

Wish You Were Here

Young Lust

Comfortably Numb

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Run Like Hell

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The Flaming Lips Rock Royal Oak

The Royal Oak Music Theatre rocked again last Sunday with legendary psychedelic punk rockers, The Flaming Lips, triumphantly returned for a night of powerful, emotional, and very loud music. One of the first bands to announce tour dates as the long, covid-moratorium on concerts was beginning to end just under a year ago, this show ended up being rescheduled from November due to issues related to not being able to cross the Canadian border to perform at that time (again due to covid). To say the sold out crowd was enthusiastically expecting a great show would be an understatement, and the band delivered a multi-sensory experience with something for everybody (as the often do). 

The evening began with a 50-minute opening set from veteran touring rockers, Heartless Bastards, who were well-received as the audience gradually filled the room. This was the last show of the tour's current leg, and the last to feature Heartless Bastards as openers, so a bit of their stage banter was both gracious for getting to be a part of it and melancholy for it coming to an end. Featuring a variety of songs from their growing catalog, the band's engaging rhythms and well-balanced mix earned applause and appreciation throughout their performance.

Quietly approaching their 40th anniversary, The Flaming Lips have continued to grow and to change, most notably in the last decade. Now down to only one original member (singer/songwriter, Wayne Coyne) following the recent retirement of founding bassist, Michael Ivins, the group has plowed forward with new original songs, interesting collaborations, and innovative covers albums which often feature vastly-rearranged versions of songs that are sacred to some, such as those of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, or The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Currently touring in support of their most recent traditional LP, 2020's American Head, the current shows are featuring fewer songs from that release and a few more deep cuts from as far back as 1987. Especially notable was the inclusion of two such songs from 1993's, Transmissions from the Satellite Heart, which paired well against more recent material and had notably not been featured regularly until Ivins' departure.

The Lips dazzled with all their traditional live features, including super-powered confetti cannons, Coyne performing much of the show from within his famous bubble, surreal and cartoonish inflatables and other props, an amazing light show, and most of all, the giant wall of ultra bright LED screens behind the band at all times. These are a very important part of the show as they are synchronized with pre-recorded performance videos and sometimes the lyrics of the song being performed, one line or even one word at a time, often emphasizing the most heartfelt or the funniest parts. The concert began with a soft opening, as Coyne addressed the audience informally with the house lights still on and introduced "My Cosmic Autumn Rebellion" and followed immediately with "Do You Realize??," both from 2002's Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, one of their very best and most successful albums, also celebrating its 20th anniversary.

After a detour into 2017's psychedelically dark, "How??," the band returned to Yoshimi to play the title track, allowing two big singalong moments within the first four songs of the show. This was also significant as the mid-section of the two-hour performance alternated between deep cuts and new songs, some of which were probably being heard for the first time ever by at least a few in the audience, and which got more varied reactions. One of the most arguably painful elements of many Flaming Lips concerts is their need for a bit more time between songs than most bands (whether due to having more people and more instruments, the props and other things on stage, or to be properly synched with their screens). Add to this the fact that their fan base is middle aged and older for the most part, and what's left are sometimes awkwardly quiet transitions between songs, usually accentuated by Coyne's comical begging to less-comical pleading or even pandering with the crowd to continuously make noise between the songs and even during quiet or vocal-less parts within them. This comes across better in a festival situation by comparison, but it has been a part of the band's performances for over 15 years now and can sometimes take away from the vibes established by the song that just ended or the next one just beginning. 

Multi-instrumentalist and long-time member, Steven Drozd, rarely moved from his keyboard station, also often singing and playing 12-string electric guitar, but the many replacement band members (and replacements of replacements) that have accumulated over the last 10 years stand inconspicuously off to the side and back of the stage, participating but receiving almost no focus or attention at all. While they each added to the songs well, it's clear the focus is now Coyne and Drozd, and the supporting cast is appreciated but also lucky to be along for the ride.

Hardcore and old school fans certainly appreciated renditions of "Moth in the Incubator," "Oh, My Pregnant Head" and "Love Yer Brain" the most, but the new songs sounded great too and were strong between the older ones. The long-standing crowd favorite, "She Don't Use Jelly," was another high point and is always one of the most engaging songs of the night, and the inclusion of "Feeling Yourself Disintegrate," from 1999's, The Soft Bulletin, was a beautiful way to end the main set.

A strong four-song encore included a B-side, two deep cuts, and ended with the bombastic, "Race for the Prize," usually featured as an opening song and all the more appropriate following or during a pandemic as the lyrics describe two scientists competing against one another to discover an important cure. The encore section also featured some of the most engaging visual and physical elements of the night, including a giant inflatable bubble filled with costumes, props, and balloons being launched onto the top of the crowd on the venue's floor and passed around frantically throughout "Worm Mountain," and during "Race for the Prize," an overdose of confetti and the band's famous inflatable letter balloons, always shouting out the town they are in, and always including an enthusiastic, "Fuck Yeah!"

The future for this band is always unpredictable, but it appears that Coyne and Drozd, at least, are in for the long haul, which after 38 years, could be closer than they and most of their fans would like. In spite of that if not because of that fact, they continue to gather to share and celebrate the band's music with them and with each other, and after the recent stretch of shut downs that prevented that very important part of engaging with one's favorite artists, being able to do that has never been more significant.

The Flaming Lips set list:

My Cosmic Autumn Rebellion

Do You Realize??

How??

Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (pt. 1)

Moth in the Incubator

Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell

Will You Return/When You Come Down

Oh, My Pregnant Head

Love Yer Brain

She Don’t Use Jelly

At the Movies on Quaaludes

Dinosaurs on the Mountain

Feeling Yourself Disintegrate

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Enthusiasm for Life Defeats Existential Fear

Worm Mountain

All We Have Is Now

Race for the Prize

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(Louis Armstrong-“What a Wonderful World” outro tape)

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Jack White’s Masonic Matrimony

 

Superstar modern rocker, Jack White, had a very big Friday in his hometown of Detroit. Aside from being the release day for his excellent new solo LP, Fear of the Dawn (review to come), he also performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” for the first time ever (at the Tigers’ opening day game), launched the tour for the album at his favorite hometown venue, and, oh yeah, got engaged and married within about 15 minutes during the concert, surprising and shocking everyone in the audience.

Similar to the launch of The Raconteurs' most recent album era in 2019, White chose to perform first at Detroit’s Masonic Temple, an amazingly ornate, 98-year-old building which is said to be the world’s largest Masonic Temple. White’s affinity for performing there goes back to childhood memories of running around the venue when his mother was an employee and undoubtedly attending concerts there in his younger days. Friday’s performance was White’s 14^th time playing the venue with one act or another, and the 15^th came the following night to a second sold-out crowd (followed by a quick drive to Grand Rapids to perform Sunday night, completing three Michigan shows during the first three nights of the tour).

As on the tours for his previous solo album and the most recent by The Raconteurs, White has again partnered with Yondr to provide security pouches for all cell phones, taking the no phones policy to a more-extreme degree than Maynard Keenan’s bands, such as Tool and Puscifer, which say security can remove someone from the venue for using their phone during the performance rather than physically restricting phone access. This is unfortunate for his opening acts especially as there is less opportunity for them to have exposure even while being part of a high-profile tour, but to each their own; it’s honestly refreshing to look around a dark audience with no flickering screens or lights every now and then.

Friday’s show began with a short, opening set from SugarTradition, a garage rock combo with music not unlike the general style of TheWhite Stripes and many others, and then a longer set from Olivia Jean, who went from being introduced to those who arrived early enough to see her to being married in front of them in a span of a few hours. Jean’s backing band rocked along with her through mostly up-tempo, original rock songs and a nice cover of Pixie’s “Broken Face” about half-way through.

After the final set change, and anxious crowd enthusiastically welcomed Jack White and his band of extra sharp musicians (both in their attire and their technical abilities) to the Masonic Temple stage. Returning veterans from some of White's previous tours, drummer, Daru Jones; keyboardist, Quincy McCrary; and Detroit native bassist, Dominic Davis, were both well-rehearsed and able to adjust to improvised moments throughout the night with ease. White opened with a powerful one-two punch of “Taking Me Back” and “Fear of the Dawn,” both live debuts and the first two tracks on the new LP, before dipping back into The White Stripes’ “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground,” a song that has been performed many times over the years in the venue. Most in the crowd were engaged throughout, but areas further away from the main floor seemed to wane and vary in energy at different points. Exactly three of the next five songs began with the word, “love,” including a rare cover of U2’s “Love Is Blindness” and the lead single from White’s next album, scheduled for release in July. A spirited rendition of The Dead Weather’s “I Cut Like a Buffalo” was also featured during this portion of the show, but this time around, no other members of The Dead Weather were present to join in as they did during White’s famous Masonic Temple performance for the Lazaretto album in 2014.

The second half of the show was entirely made up of White Stripes and Raconteurs songs, somewhat surprising considering it was a Jack White solo concert and that there were ten or more additional new songs to feature in celebration of releasing the new album from which only two songs were performed. Included among them, a sing along on “We’re Going to Be Friends,” more audience participation during “I’m Slowly Turning into You” (woo!) and the electric blues attack of “Ball and Biscuit,” dedicated to Stripes’ drummer, Meg White. The Raconteurs,’ “You Don’t Understand Me,” sounded almost as sharp as when it is performed by that band, and Friday’s show was White’s first inclusion of it in the set as a solo artist. However, these song choices and arrangements were all by White’s design, as usual, and the audience began to piece things together as the personal events unfolded on stage during the show in progress.

Prior to introducing The White Stripes classic, “Hotel Yorba,” White invited Olivia Jean back to the stage to join him on guitar and vocals. As she was plugging in, White explained she was his girlfriend (for most who didn’t already know) and after duetting nicely on the first two verses and choruses, things changed quickly into the third verse where White sang the first two lines (It might sound silly for me to think childish thoughts like these/but I’m so tired of acting tough, and I’m gonna do what I please) before stopping the song and producing an engagement ring, asking Jean to marry him right in the middle of the verse. The audience erupted with applause as she shockingly agreed, and then the song continued from the point it ended with even more prophetic lyrics that set up the second big surprise of the night (let’s get married in a big cathedral by a priest/’cause if I’m the man that you love the most, you can say, “I do” at least!)

Following a short encore break as the celebratory applause continued, White returned to the stage and next invited his mother, Jean’s father, and a few other family members to the stage along with a priest who then performed a brief but very in-character wedding ceremony (including White leaning into the mic to say, “I do,” three times, exactly). The first words the priest spoke as the short ceremony began were, “Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life,” quoting Prince’s immortal, “Let’s Go Crazy,” which was certainly an appropriate sentiment for the scene that had unfolded at that moment. Following the wedding and a long standing ovation with plenty of loud, congratulatory applause, White and his band got back to music and capped off the night with The Raconteurs’, “Steady, As She Goes,” another song mentioning marriage and lifestyle changes, and finally, The White Stripes’, “Seven Nation Army,” which at this point includes more people singing along to the melody of the main guitar riff than the actual lyrics themselves. White encouraged this crowd vocalization by asking the band to stop playing as he sang most of the third verse with only the audience’s chanting as an accompaniment.

Overall, Jack White’s tour launch was clearly a highly successful one, and not only was the performance itself top-notch, well-rehearsed, and very professionally staged, this show in particular was extra unique due to the wedding celebration within. Having said that, it is notable that White was on stage for just under 90 minutes, including the proposal, the encore break, and the wedding, compared to the following night which contained ten more songs, and the Grand Rapids show which included seven more than the Friday show. Clearly, it was a very big, busy, and probably long day for White, so it’s hard to fault him for keeping things a bit shorter for once, and with good reason, but when the music is as good as his, there’s always a desire to hear a few more songs.

 

Jack White set list:

Taking Me Back

Fear of the Dawn

Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground (The White Stripes)

Love Interruption

Love Is Selfish

I Cut Like a Buffalo (The Dead Weather)

Lazaretto

Love Is Blindness (U2)

We’re Going to Be Friends (The White Stripes)

You Don’t Understand Me (The Raconteurs)

I’m Slowly Turning into You (The White Stripes)

Ball and Biscuit (The White Stripes)

Hotel Yorba (The White Stripes) (+proposal!)

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*Wedding Ceremony*
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Steady, As She Goes (The Raconteurs)

Seven Nation Army (The White Stripes)

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Grammy Awards 2022 Summary and Re-Cap

 

We’ve now made it through a second year of the modern, updated Grammy awards, forever changed from the more formal affairs of years past, and it could be said this year’s televised broadcast was at least as insignificant, overall, as last year’s though there were a few more notable performances this time around compared to the 2021 show. Notable performers included Brandi Carlile, Nas, Silk Sonic, Chris Stapleton, and most notably, a medley from H.E.R. that saw her go from a drum solo and a portion of one of her own songs into a strong cover of Lenny Kravitz’s, “Are You Gonna Go My Way?” featuring Kravitz himself and drums from Blink 182’s Travis Barker (for some reason).

This years in memoriam segment did not have the same class and presentation as last year’s, but it did begin with a short tribute to Foo Fighters’ drummer, Taylor Hawkins, who had passed only a week prior and who was also featured on Billie Eilish’s T-shirt during her performance.

Rather than repeating the major changes in tone and presentation in style that were already ranted about last year (see the 2021rant here), it’s still worth a moment to look a quick summary of rock and rock-related artists who were honored, mostly, as usual, during the non-televised portions of the ceremony and events held prior.

Record of the Year, Best R&B Performance, Best R&B Song, AND Song of the Year: Silk Sonic-“Leave the Door Open”

Best Dance/Electronic Recording: Rufus Du Sol-“Alive”

Best Rock Performance: Foo Fighters-“Making a Fire”

Best Metal Performance: Dream Theater-“The Alien”

Best Rock Song: Foo Fighters-“Waiting on a War”

Best Rock Album: Foo Fighters-Medicine at Midnight

Best Alternative Music Album: St. Vincent-Daddy’s Home

Best Traditional R&B Performance: H.E.R.-“Fight for You”

Best Melodic Rap Performance: Kanye West (w/The Weeknd & Lil Baby)-“Hurricane”

Best Rap Song: Kanye West (w/Jay-Z)-“Jail”

Best Rap Album: Tyler, The Creator-Call Me If You Get Lost

Best Country Solo Performance: Chris Stapleton-“You Should Probably Leave”

Best Country Song: Chris Stapleton-“Cold”

Best Country Album: Chris Stapleton-Starting Over

Best New Age Album: Stewart Copeland & Ricky Kej-Divine Tides

Best Americana Album: Los Lobos-Native Sons

Best Bluegrass Album: Bela Fleck-My Bluegrass Heart

Best Folk Album: Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi-They’re Calling Me Home

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media: Andra Day-The United States Vs. Billie Holiday

Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media: Jon Batiste, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross-Soul

Best Boxed or Special Limited-Edition Package: George Harrison-All Things Must Pass 50^th Anniversary Edition

Best Album Notes: Louis Armstrong-The Complete Louis Armstrong Columbia and RCA Victor Studio Sessions 1946-1966

Best Historical Album: Joni Mitchell-Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963-1967)

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical: Jack Antonoff

Best Remixed Recording: Deftones-“Passenger (Mike Shinoda Remix)”

Best Immersive Audio Album: Alicia Keys-ALICIA

Best Music Film: Summer of Soul 

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