There are shows that are unforgettable, shows that ultimately become infamous, and then there are the shows where anyone who attended will be quick to remind you that “I was there” when it gets brought up. On Friday night at Cactus Club, Jack White and his band would deliver the latter experience.
For a very lucky group of Milwaukeeans that were able to score tickets, their Friday plans were completely turned on their head after the morning announcement that Jack White would play not only The Rave on Saturday, but Cactus Club that night. In the course of an hour and a half, one of the biggest stars in modern rock would give them just about everything that they could have asked for, in what felt like a surreal atmosphere.
Friday night’s show, as part of White’s “No Name” tour, was a benefit for the Cactus Club accessibility initiative, as the club looks to increase their ADA capabilities to make the space inclusive for all music fans. Tickets were at a $175 premium and sold out within minutes, given the small capacity of the club for an artist that played the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena just two years ago. White and his band made sure that they gave everyone their money’s worth, with a 90-minute set that incorporated just about every twist and turn of the singer/songwriter/guitar slinger’s career.
The night was a true mixed-genre affair to begin, with Milwaukee-based alternative hip hop artist NilexNile taking the stage first. The Cactus Club crowd were incredibly supportive of the booking, which boded well for the rest of the night. At around 10 p.m., the headliners would push their way through the crowd to take the stage, and once the lights dimmed to only shades of blue, it would take only seconds for them to launch into opener “Old Scratch Blues” from “No Name.” There was no letting up from then onward, as for the duration of the show, at least one of the four musicians on stage would be playing through what felt like a non-stop blast of music..
The intimacy of the gig was a welcoming atmosphere for White, who had previously played the club 25 years ago at the first White Stripes show outside of their home state of Michigan. Always in command, he would count off song after song, with mostly material from the new record in the front half of the set. While yes, that was the record to promote, there was also a feeling that White was only warming up with the newer material. It would take just a couple of songs for him to truly lock in, and once he did, there was no stopping him from letting the spirit take him over. He and the band would let tracks like current single “That’s How I’m Feeling” breathe, breaking them down into extended jams, and often letting White loose to solo and manipulate his guitar to the fullest with not only his pedalboard, but even more distortion via controls attached to his mic stand.
After roughly a half hour on stage, White would shed his jacket, as if it were holding him back from showing off more guitar mastery. In the heart of the set, he and the band would nod to The White Stripes with a reenergized version of “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground” and “I Think I Smell A Rat.” They’d also graze material from The Dead Weather with “I Cut Like A Buffalo,” and match the energy of that song with 2014 single “High Ball Stepper.”
The only semblance of a stoppage came when a fan needed medical attention, in which even then White looked taken aback as the band had to inform him that something was amiss in the crowd. Once he opened his eyes from playing deep in the pocket, he appeared confused, and then slowed the band down for the fan to be attended to while he noodled on guitar. As soon as that was handled, they would rev things back up. There was no letup, very minimal talking to the crowd, and nothing was going to take away from letting the music take over.
At one point, as the night was ultimately winding down, it didn’t seem like there was a traditional set ender in sight. In one of the very rare addresses to the crowd, White proclaimed “it’s almost time for us to leave, but I don’t wanna leave!” which got a big roar. That wasn’t a signal that things were ending right then and there, but rather that there were about four or five more songs left to go, again packing as much into 90 minutes as he could. There was still time for White to take one more lap through his many projects, with The White Stripes “Ball And Biscuit,” The Raconteurs’ “Broken Boy Soldier,” and “No Name” track “Archbishop Harold Holmes” before the night was truly over.
There was an aura about Friday night’s show, from start to finish, that still didn’t feel real at times. At some point, while watching White and his band sweat through layers and deliver blistering solos for a tightly packed room, you had to remind yourself that this was, in fact, really happening. Surely just about everyone in Cactus Club on Friday night had a moment like that, which is what truly makes a show like that unforgettable.
