The Weekend Report!

Hello!

So, I don't know if you know, but I was in Toronto for a couple of days.

Alright, fuck being coy. The White Stripes knocked my socks off! It seems that I was good and ate my veggies because they played almost every song I wanted them to, including both "Passive Manipulation" and "In The Cold, Cold Night." Here's a list of highlights:

• The Greenhornes were a great opening band. Very talented. Jenny & I led their cheering section.
  
• A guy telling Jenny & I that we "looked fuckin' sharp." We dressed up; Jenny in a red and white striped shirt, red pants, black and white striped socks, and black and white wristbands; myself in black pants and shirt with a red tie and handkerchief in the pocket, secured with a Meg pin, and a red, white, and black wristband.
  
• Meg's red and white timpanis'.
  
• The roadies who all wore black suits with red ties and swingin' hats with red feathers.
  
• The roadies who had to stand on tippy-toes to be able to test Jack's microphones.
  
• Jack's frenetic energy which was evident from the second he walked on stage.
  
• Meg's adorable Panda slippers.
  
• The songs. Good God, the songs!
  
• Jack's toreador suit, featuring an awesome Zorro hat, and tight, tight pants.
  
• Meg rolling her eyes when she missed a note in "In the Cold, Cold Night."
  
• Meg playing the bongos during "As Ugly as I Seem" while sitting cross legged on the stage at Jack's feet.
  
• Jack kneeling on the floor and singing the last verse of the song just to her.
  
• Being so close that I could hear him without a microphone.
  
• The look of sheer enjoyment on Jack's face as the crowd sang along to "We're Going To Be Friends."
  
• All the stage talk going on between the two. So much communication, so little said.
  
• Jack spitting everywhere. No wonder Meg had a towel.
  
• Jack going behind Meg's kit to sing over her shoulder.
  
• Jack not caring that he was throwing expensive microphones and stands around.
  
• The roadies who would politely come out and reset anything that was knocked over.
  
• Seeing the sweat fly.
  
• The mirror on Jack's piano so that he could still see Meg, even though his back was to her.
  
• After "In the Cold, Cold Night, Jack suggesting that Meg do a solo Canadian tour.
  
• How Jack took a hit off an asthma inhaler about 6 songs in.
  
• Hearing (not through the speakers) Jack scream "FASTER!" during the chorus of "Hotel Yorba" to Meg.
  
• The way it was both tight and seemed completely improvised at once.
  
• Meg putting her hand on her hip whenever she wasn't using it.
  
• The mystery song that they played.
  
• This one is particularly cool, so it gets bolded: At the beginning of "Death Letter" Jack noodling around on his guitar while slowly making eye contact with many people in the audience. As he came to me, someone shouted "You're the Devil!" and (still keeping eye contact with me) he nodded very slightly.
  
• This:
  

I don't know if you can tell from the crappy picture, but I am now the proud owner of one of Meg White's drumsticks! She touched it, and now I own it! And I know that's a stupid thing to be proud of, but I still am!!

But... there's always a but.

I got robbed. As soon as I got my mitts on the stick, some guy grabbed $65 out of my pocket. Our conversation went like this:

Me: Hey!
He: I'll give you this back if you give me the stick.
Me: Just give it back.
He: Give me the stick, and you can have your money back.
Me: Go FUCK YOURSELF! (To beefy security guard) Hey! He stole my money!

But he ran off. Son of a bitch almost soured the moment. But then I reminded myself that I had one of Meg's drumsticks. And I still do! It was attempted to be stolen from me once more on the way out, and some guy offered my "five grams" for it, so I stick it up my.......... shirt sleeve and inconspicuoulsy made my way out.

Aside from that, there were only a couple of downers, which you will find following this sentence.

This scentence that I'm writing.

Right now.

"PERIOD!"

• Jerks who push. I'm not ashamed to say that I threw a couple of elbows.
  
• The guy who, before the show started, smoked the most enormous, foul smelling joint I've ever seen right behind me and blowing the smoke at Jenny and I.
  
• Poor Jenny feeling a little sick after the show.
  
• Because of where we were standing, for a lot of the show Meg looked like this.
  

I think that was it. It was so amazing to see them. They had the entire place sold out and on their feet for the entire show. At the end they said that they hadn't played to a crowd that excited since they were in Brazil, and "that was saying something."

I wanted to post the setlist, but I can't find it online, so I'll just give you what I can remember in no particular order and replace it with the real deal when I can find it. The first few are in order.

• When I Hear My Name
  
• Blue Orchid
  
• Passive Manipulation
  
• Dead Leaves & the Dirty Ground (played on guitar and piano)
  
• My Doorbell
  
• Cannon/John the Revelator
  
• Forever for Her (Is Over for Me)
  
• The Nurse
  
• Ball & Biscuit/Instinct Blues
  
• Death Letter
  
• Jolene (with extended "tuning up" intro)
  
• Seven Nation Army
  
• ???***MYSTERY SONG***??? (a cover, but I don't know of what.)
  
• Let's Shake Hands
  
• Hardest Button to Button
  
• Black Math
  
• In the Cold, Cold Night
  
• Look Me Over Closely
  
• Hello Operator
  
• You're Pretty Good Looking (For a Girl)
  
• Hotel Yorba
  
• The Denial Twist
  
• Red Rain
  
• As Ugly as I Seem
  
• We're Going to be Friends
  
• Do (A personal favourite)
  
• The Union Forever
  
• Boll Weevil (Which I heard they only play after a really good show, so this was great)
  

What an amazing show. I keep wonder if (providing I have grandkids) my grandkids will be impressed that I saw the White Stripes live. I know I would be!


I love these guys.