The White Stripes Take Milwaukee

I got into the White Stripes after hearing and seeing the video for “Hotel Yorba,”(on “White Blood Cells”). It had Jack White dragging pretty Meg White all around the place, sort of in a Beatle-like fast-moving fashion. I was hooked from day one. So I got the album and listened to it until I wore it out and had to buy another CD!

I heard they were going to be in Milwaukee, so I asked my brother if he wanted to go, since he lived up there. We got tickets and there ended up being four guys, Doug(my brother) his two roommates Matt and Mike, and myself.

Being the summer after 9/11, and the theatre being in a rougher neighborhood, we were a little nervous parking where we did, but we locked up and hoped for the best.

We sat in the balcony and saw everything! We waited through the opening band(I forget the name). They had a song about a banana, and someone threw a banana onstage and the singer ate a bite and threw it back into the audience!

Then the White Stripes were to come on. They started ripping through “Hotel Yorba,” the curtain came down behind them slowly and it was the American Flag! Everyone cheered and saluted the White Stripes for their courage to travel and continue their tour after the events of the summer previous.

Meg was hot, in her bare feet and ponytails pounding away and never missing a beat. Jack was a virtuoso, even sounding more electric after switching to his electrified acoustic guitar! He was on the floor, he switched microphones so he could sing closer to Meg, he hopped on the keyboards-a real musician through and through. This was a concert to remember, before Jack’s movie roles and crazy marriage on the Amazon River, before Meg’s current sickness and fear of performing in public, lately. We pray for you Jack and Meg!