Jack White?

Last week, during a heavy discussion about record labels, someone (aka my teacher) called Jack White a greedy, annoying, and corporate person. The arguments as to why are still not clear to me, nor do I know if we were talking about the same person. I honestly doubt it, well at least I hope so. Anyways, here we are, a week later and it’s still bothering me. So I’d like to take a minute of your time to talk about one of my favourite artists; the genius that is Jack White.

Neighborhood Potluck

Chances are you read about Jack White crashing his neighborhood’s potluck in suburban Nashville. No biggie. The neighborhood, mostly existing of older people, had no idea that their mysterious neighbor was a world-famous rock star. White apologized for missing out in the past, and explained that he travels a lot. And the story goes he brought guacamole to the potluck.

From Furniture to Novelties

You may have heard about White’s quirky label Third Man Records, which is so much more than a simple label. What Willy Wonka was to candy, Jack White is to music. Third Man Records houses a novelties store, a music venue, a studio, a vinyl press plant and is the home of many musical projects that otherwise would have never seen the light of day. But before Third Man Records was founded, Jack White had a furniture company in Detroit called Third Man Upholstery.

Vinyl God

Jack White prides himself on recording analog, literally cutting his tracks with a razor blade to create the final version. Last year he even teamed up with Neil Young at the Tonight Show, to record and cut a live version of ‘Crazy’ in a vinyl-recording booth during the taping of the show.
If you are at all into vinyl you must have geeked out over Jack White’s album Lazaretto. The Lazaretto Ultra-LP is the first vinyl that can only be heard in its entirety when your turntable can play at three different speeds. There are two hidden tracks under the sticker in the middle that run on different speeds than the rest of the record. Moreover, the A-side of the record has a hologram of an angel in it, which appears when you shine a light on it. The B-side has an acoustic and amplified beginning, depending on the groove in which the needle drops. Both sides also have a locked groove at the end, which means the record will loop the ending, until you turn the record off.

From Country to Seven Nation Army

If you’re into folk music, you cannot have missed Jack White’s participation in the concert registration of Another Day, Another Time, a one-time event inspired by the Coen Brother’s Inside Llewyn Davis, a movie on the 1960s folk scene in Greenwich Village. Moreover White produced albums with country starts Wanda Jackson and Loretta Lynn. A little different from his White Stripes hit ‘Seven Nation Army’. White is also involved in the ‘Rome’ project, which aims to create music inspired by spaghetti westerns. He also produced two albums with talk-show host Conor O’Brian, and oh – he also worked together with Jay-Z. Talk about diverse.

Whatever He Wants

During one of his tours, White had two different bands with him. One in an all-male formation, the other existing of only females. Before the show started he’d pick a band depending on his mood. Expensive, but worth it, according to White. In order to be a genius you have to be a little crazy right?

When White released his single ‘Freedom at 21’ he had Third Man-interns tie a thousand vinyl copies to helium balloons and release them into the open air. Also, when he was touring with the White Stripes, the band wanted to be considered in the Guinness Book of World Records, by playing a one-note concert and declaring it the shortest concert ever. Request denied.

In 2003, White broke his finger in a car crash, and to say the least fans weren’t happy about the concert cancellations that followed. In order for the fans to understand the situation, White had the experience of the operation filmed in great detail, so fans could “better understand the complexity of the situation.”
Also, this:

 

Jack White is a musical genius (make sure to check out his discography), an industry innovator, and, lucky for us, completely insane. In the Flaming Lips’ words: thank you Jack White.

Sincerely,
Kim. 🙂