why i've lost respect for jack white

one of the highlights of my teenage life was a couple of consecutive night concerts at the masonic temple theatre in detroit. a girl i knew in school, who i now think had a crush on me at the time, invited me to go the upcoming whitestripes show that was a local detroit release party for "elephant." with a sunken spirit i told her i couldn't go because i couldn't afford it (tickets were $35/$45 with fees). i was working 20 hours a week to help pay for what i thought was college but would really be a $30 a week cinnamon breadsticks habit. needless to say i didn't want to spend the money. then she said the magic words that are always to good to be true...

"that's ok, i can get you in for free"

this was my reaction

she replied with "yeah, my family works for the theatre and all you have to do is usher people to their seats [because it's a nice theatre] for 30 minutes and then you are free to roam the theatre and watch the concert." without hesitation i said i would be there.

i had followed the white stripes as a teenager because all of my friends learned to sing and play the guitar at the same time by playing "apple blossom." we all learned "dead leaves and the dirty ground" off "white blood cells" and then elephant hit, and the white stripes blew up and so did my affection for them.

anyway, i went to the theater with her entire family (who spoke some language other than english that i still have no idea what it was), and in my white shirt and tie sat people down and then got to watch jack white shred for the night. the theatre offered me a "on-call" position to just show up for any event to usher for. so i came back the next night with my friend ashley, and saw them again... in a white shirt and tie.

i vividly remember everything from those two nights. i remember jack white jokingly refer to detroit as "toledo" to get the crowd buzzing, i remember where i parked, i remember the shirt i was wearing, and i remember worrying that someone would ask for my ticket. but more than anything i remember the range of jack white's playing. at this point in my life mr. white was an eccentric song writer and riff creator but no virtuoso, due to the straightforward, simple progressions on his albums. these nights made me realize, while he focused his talents on his unforgettable melodies that stretch all over the world, he could really step forward as one of the strongest guitarists of all time.

that was the plateau of my respect for jack white, until "it might get loud" made me fall off that plateau.

i'll spare you the details but "it might get loud" is a documentary in which three deified rock guiarists (jack white, jimmy page, and the edge) all discuss their roots, opinions, and influences while meeting together in a warehouse in california. (you will probably need to see the movie to know everything i want to discuss)

the edge opens the movie showing off all the equipment he uses to create the sound he hears in his head. he has a roadie specifically dedicated to designing, caring for, and setting up his huge pedal board. the edge goes on to talk about how he spends hours in his studio perfecting the sound for his songs. just listen to the subtle but stinging nature of "with or without you." that song is defined by the guitar. the bass does nothing, the drums never change but that guitar makes that song blossom.

then jack white comes out to talk about how music has always fought against technology. that technology is dragging down the soul of music and pulling it through the mud destroying the humanistic expression inherent in organized sound. he is portrayed as a sort of antagonist to the edge's style, which made complete sense with jack's style of playing: raw, shrill and powerful. but then things changed.

white went on to talk about how his favorite song was the elegant blues song grinnin' in your face by son house in which there is only clapping and singing. white proclaims that this song is what he has been trying to do his whole career; just try to express himself through simplistic expression.

here in lies my problem... jack white does not accomplish his musical expression by simply clapping and singing; john anthony gillis is a hypocrite

let me explain. in probably the most unintentional and subtly ironic part of the movie, an executive on the film lot gets in the way of jack's car because he was talking on the phone. white looks back at the well dressed business man and says "he probably just got done saying something like 'totally organic.'"

yum, i can actually taste that symbolism. it tastes like superman ice cream.

jack white wants his expression to be something akin to 'totally organic' in the likes of son house, yet, in his music he accomplishes the equivalent of the dressed to the 9's businessman SAYING 'totally organic' which, obviously, is anything but.

jack white uses a heavy amount distortion (a technological way to change the timbre of the guitar without mechanical changes to the guitar itself) on a lot of the songs he puts out and on his albums he is credited as playing the SYNTHESIZER! as in synthesized music. you know, the instrument that is solely in existence because of technology? i could not fathom how the jack white that i saw as a teenager had become that which i despise the most... the "do as i say and not as i do" type. i would have been fine if jack white had just played the barmy old codger type that yells at the kids telling them why their new music is just noise while solemnly reminiscing about the good ol' days of blues and rock. that's how i see jack white, that's why i like jack white. i'll end with a horrible comparison: jack white took the blues and rock synergy, which we will compare to the old half-animated lord of the rings and made it into THE lord of the rings. both are good, but for completely different reasons. jack white just fails to acknowledge those differences and wants to see himself as kin with the old school.

i will always love the whitestripes and will always pay for their albums and their concerts without hesitation but i cannot look upon jack white with such respect anymore...

am i being to nit-picky? am i alone in these thoughts?

discuss!!!!!!!

coming up next: lady gaga!