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Jack White Ends Lollapalooza 2012 With Ear-Splitting Set

Jack WhiteSitthixay Ditthavong, Invision, AP

Lollapalooza 2012 is over, with Jack White sending thousands on their way out with a loud 19-song set that featured cuts from all of his bands.

This marked my fourth time I've seen Jack as a solo artist, and thanks to some early maneuvering, I ended up about 20 to 30 feet back from the front rail. The ground was fairly dry there, thanks to a covering of what looked like kitty litter, but the smell still had a manure tinge to it. And after a few initial pushes, the crowd finally found that "I guess we'll just lean on each other even though we're strangers" balance, sharing all the sweat and the screams.

White kicked things off with "Sixteen Saltines," firing off his riffs while backed by his all-male band, Los Buzzardos. It's been written about plenty that he's doing these shows without a concrete set list, calling out songs impulsively, often forcing his band to scramble to switch instruments. At this show, it seemed like he was going more off the rails than the past times I've seen him, preceding some of the songs with improvised guitar noise. One big change from previous gigs was his performance of "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" on piano instead of guitar, adding a much bluesier feel to the song while the rest of the band kept it heavy.

The early portion of the set included "Wasting My Time," "Hypocritical Kiss," a medley featuring "Nitro" and "John the Revelator," "The Same Boy You've Always Known" and "Take Me With You When You Go." Though there was much improv, it was obviously planned that he would switch off to his all-woman band, the Peacocks, midway through the show, with the band sharing instruments instead of switching the setup like they've done at other gigs.

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And whereas the Peacocks have played the earlier portions of the set the other times I've seen them, tonight they were given the duty, and pleasure I assume, of being the heavier half of the evening. "Love Interruption" and "Weep Themselves to Sleep" were loud to the point of abrasiveness, but not unpleasant, which led to White asking if the crowd liked country songs and kicking into "Hotel Yorba." Jack seemingly got lost in his own head while coming up with song choices at one point, standing with his eyes closed for at least 30 seconds while the rest of the band improvised small flourishes. But once he made up his mind, things got wilder, with high-octave guitar solos and loud riffing.

After closing out the main set with "Ball and Biscuit," White and the band exited the stage for a few minutes, with the crowd screaming the riff to "Seven Nation Army" as though we were at a soccer game. They returned for a four-song encore, kicking off with the Raconteurs' "Steady, As She Goes," turning what had already been a wild scream-along into an all-out frenzy. The momentum didn't wane with "The Hardest Button to Button" up next, followed by White's Blunderbuss standout "Freedom at 21." With the crowd as energetic as possible, White slowed things down, changing guitars, picking up a slide and letting the tension build for a few seconds before finally playing the opening notes of "Seven Nation."

The fans' stomping started immediately with the frenetic jumping going off as soon as the full band kicked it into gear. White drew out the song as much as possible, adding in a few small pauses to work up the audience's energy and finishing up by dropping his guitar onto the stage, letting the feedback ring and taking a bow with both of his backing bands. A quarter of the audience stayed around, thinking he would come out for a true unplanned encore while most plodded toward the exit, still screaming that catchy-as-hell riff, ending Lollapalooza on an unforgettable, tinnitus-inducing note.

Watch "Freedom at 21"


The 2012 Lollapalooza Lineup

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