Jack White on making beautiful music with his ex-wife Meg
ìIs it possible for a brother and sister to dress in only red, white and black, play blues music with no computers or samples, travel across the Arctic to places other bands would be scared to venture, play free shows everyday at random locations, and not be the biggest thing since The Beatles?î asks Jack White.
ìThe answer,î he says, ìis clear.î
Since the duoís first Detroit gig at an open-mike night back in 1997 and across six studio albums, the White Stripes ó singer-guitarist Jack and his drummer and ex-wife Meg White (they now weirdly describe themselves as siblings) ó have dutifully abided by Jackís Rules of Threes. All clothes, gear, instruments and accoutrements are limited to three colors: red, black and white. Songs have just three sounds: guitar, drums and vocals. Roadies wear three-piece suits. It all feels a bit O-C-D.
Tuesdayís ìUnder Great White Northern Lights,î the duoís first release since 2007ís ìIcky Thump,î conforms to the code, too. Itís even issued in three different formats: audio (CDs and a double LP), video (concert and documentary DVDs) and print (a 208-page book, plus a silk-screened photo).
Itís issued by Warner Bros. and Third Man, Jackís Nashville-based boutique label that specializes in handmade vinyl. (And, yes, it derives its name from the number 3).
ìItís us having a plethora of film and music at our table that we decided to put in a curry and bake it at 300 degrees,î Jack, 34, tells The Post. ìThere are dessert treats in there, too, for those fans that hate their vegetables. All kinds of exclusive vinyl and artwork. This isnít some Internet mirage, either ó you can hold these things in your hands just like Grandpa did.î
Audiowise, itís the bandís first-ever live release, documenting a tour through every province and territory in Canada, including: a five-pin bowling alley in Saskatoon; a 40-foot fishing boat called the ìAnnandale Lightî off of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; and a rec-center acoustic jam in Nunnavut with Inuit elders, who fed Jack raw caribou.
ìThe strange locations made for the most intriguing and inspiring moments for us,î Jack says. ìYou tend to play songs in a bowling alley that you wouldnít at home with mother in the parlor.î
His favorite performance?
ìI like the show that was only one note,î he says, referring to a ridiculously brief, albeit free show in St. John, New Brunswick. ìThe crowd got their moneyís worth on that one.î
The concert footage captures unhinged performances of songs that span the bandís career, demonstrating why Megís minimalist percussion and Jackís colicky blues guitar have earned the Stripes respect from critics and rock titans alike. Jack jammed with Jimmy Page and U2ís The Edge in the film ìIt Might Get Loudî and shared a stage with the Rolling Stones in Martin Scorseseís ìShine a Light.î The duo has won three Grammys and sold more than 12 million records.
The box set is also a multimedia monument to the bond between a former husband and wife whose music outlasted their romance.
The Canada tour did, however, end in cancellations and the painfully shy Meg suffering from acute anxiety. In the rare moments when she whispers, viewers need subtitles to understand what sheís muttering. By the end, the cracks in her psyche are showing. Following their 10th anniversary concert in Nova Scotia, Meg sits next to Jack at a piano while he plays ìWhite Moon.î Tears stream down her face.
ìHer femininity and extreme minimalism are too much to take for some metal heads and reverse-contrarian hipsters,î Jack says. ìShe can do what those with ëtechnical prowessí canít. She inspires people to bash on pots and pans. For that, they repay her with gossip and judgment. In the end sheís laughing all the way to the Prada handbag store. She wins every time.î
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