A Detroit Original

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I still remember it very well, it was a relatively hot evening in August of 2002 when I found myself riding down to Detroit, MI to some place I had never heard of before called Chene Park. There was a band that had just released a single called "Last Night" and when we saw they were coming to play a show about two hours away, we decided to check it out. That band just happened to be The Strokes, and quite honestly I don't remember too much about their portion of the show.

You see, there was this other band that was either opening for them or co-headlining with them (I think it's open to debate), and that is the portion of the show that I really remember. Chene Park is a small park on the shores of the Detroit river, just down the way from the Renaissance Center that you can't see in the opening photo above because of the fog.

It actually appears in the 23 years since I have been there, they have changed the name to the Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre. It's a pretty small venue that only holds about 5000 people and it gives you some pretty great views of the river and Windsor Ontario across the river in the distance.

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This post really isn't about the venue though, it's about that other band that was playing with The Strokes on that Friday night in August. You see, it was a relatively unknown band at the time called The White Stripes. Since they released their first single in 1998, and they were from the Detroit area, I am sure there were a number of people who had heard of them before, but for me, they were brand new.

Like I said, they totally blew me away and quite honestly, they basically stole the show. As you probably know, the band itself split up quite some time ago, but Jack White has been continuing to make some pretty amazing music over the years. He had formed a couple other bands, and has done a wide array of solo work, some of which I am going to share with you here today.

That's right, my theme for this weeks #threetunetuesday sponsored by @ablaze is Jack White (not to be confused with the former janitor of the same name who retired several years ago from my employer).

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This song was actually the inspiration for the post this week. I wasn't sure I wanted to share this version because the audio honestly isn't that great. If you like what you hear though, I suggest you listen to the album version to really get an idea of just how amazing it is. "Archbishop Harold Holmes" is a perfect example of what Jack White has always done and done so well. The guitar parts absolutely rock, the lyrics are great, and the way he delivers both is just amazing.

This song has the feel of an old southern revival. Kind of similar to the Neil Diamond tune "Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show", but only with a lot more electric guitar and a ton more grit. Detroit is know for grit in case you hadn't heard...

I actually heard this song for the first time just recently on Sirius/XM satellite radio and it kind of slapped me in the face and said hey, remember that Jack White guy... You need to listen to him again.

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It's actually kind of hard to pick just three songs to share with you here today. If you go all the way back to his stuff with the White Stripes, there is a ton of amazing music that Jack White has had a hand in. I know a lot of people might think that any list of his music wouldn't be complete without the song "Seven Nation Army", but even Jack admits that isn't really his song anymore. It's been co-opted so much by sports teams and other organizations, that it really doesn't belong to him like it used to.

Instead, I am going to share with you "Would You Fight For My Love". I think this song is a good example of how Jack can also sing kind of slow ballads as well as the heavier rock stuff that he has become known for. I will admit, the first song I shared is more sing songy talking versus actually singing. I think this song shows that Jack can also sing as well. Although, if you don't like the sing songy talk sort of thing you should probably look elsewhere. It's kind of a staple of Jack's sound.

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Finally, I am going to share with you "What's The Trick". This song is just another good example of how talented Jack is. There is a lot to love about this song. As I write this post I am actually starting to realize that today might have to be a deep dive into Jack White day. He is one of those artists where you kind of forget about them for a while, then you hear them again and you remember just how amazing they are. It's like hearing them again for the first time.

Jack White has been a big proponent of the resurgence of vinyl records for a while now. I own a couple of The White Stripes records, but none of his solo stuff. I have heard that he does some special things with his records like running the grooves all the way to the center. I also don't know if it is true, but I saw a story a while ago that Jack submitted his tax return to the IRS on a vinyl record this year.

I guess do your own research if you want to find out if that is actually true... Either way, it's still pretty cool.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to listen to his 2024 album called "No Name".

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Sports Talk Social - @bozz.sports

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All pictures/screenshots taken by myself or @mrsbozz unless otherwise sourced