Ever see a Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famer perform at Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver? I have over the years, counting The Ramones, Buddy Guy, The Pretenders, Foo Fighters, Soundgarden and probably a couple others I'm forgetting.
Add Jack White to the list, because he'll be inducted in November with The White Stripes, the duo he once fronted with drummer Meg White.
Thursday night (May 22), John Anthony Gillis strapped on multiple guitars in the first of his two nights at Granville Street's beloved ballroom, which shook with 90-plus minutes of thundering, blues-inspired music and rapturous cheering from fans packed into the second-floor venue.
Last time I saw White was at Vancouver's Pacific Coliseum in June 2022, when a no-cellphones policy forced concert-goers to put theirs into locked pouches upon entry. No such rules this time at the Commodore, where fans happily snapped pix and some of them probably live-streamed the entire 22-song set.
Later, I learned that fans could see and download pro photos of the concert from White's website (jackwhiteiii.com/live-photos).
In another cool move, White makes "student rush" tickets available for just $20 a few hours before show time at the venue box office, first-come, first-served, one ticket per student ID. Great deal for young fans, especially on a night when regular tickets were selling for close to $400.
They paid to see White, of course, but his three-man band was worth the price of admission too. A hat tip to Dominic Davis (bass), Patrick Keeler (drums) and Bobby Emmett (keys), all separated from the bandleader by a small wall of Fender guitar amps, well mic'd.
Thursday's opener was garage-punk band Wait/Less, fronted by Calgary transplant Rebecca White (no relation to the headliner, according to Google). Friday, Canada's long-rocking Big Sugar opened for White, a perfect match for a guy who recently covered the former's early hit, Ride Like Hell, performed five songs into Thursday's set.
A few White Stripes numbers also rocked the Commodore including Cannon, The Union Forever, Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground, Ball and Biscuit and, of course, the iconic, set-ending exit song, Seven Nation Army.
Whatever White plays, it's always interesting as he coaxes a barrage of notes from his various guitars, including an acoustic gone very electric. The guy's an icon now, 28 years after the White Stripes stormed outta Detroit.
Despite feeling a bit ill, I'm glad to have found strength to see Thursday's show, another landmark Commodore Ballroom gig among many. It really feels like 2025 is going to be a great year there, judging by the photo gallery of concert dates shown on screens between sets, including The Hives, Tom Morello, Ministry, Drive-by Truckers, The Darkness, Billy Strings and others, listed on commodoreballroom.com.
Only thing I regret about White's first night is not bringing earplugs because wow, the volume was pushed to 11.
