Just imagine training your whole life to climb Mt Everest. Years of grind, grit, and a yearning to reach the metaphorical and literal peak of accomplishment.
The feeling that follows elation, ecstasy, and then… What next… There’s not another Everest to climb. A sense of almost emptiness follows in the coming days. Will life ever be better than that moment?
That’s what seeing Jack White at the Auckland Town Hall was like. He is the Everest of Rock n Roll, that mountain of unparalleled musicianship was climbed on a Tuesday night, and now what’s next.
Bruce Jarvis & John Easby wrote a definite list of the greatest gigs that rocked New Zealand… The book is now in-complete.
In the last 5 years, I have seen 283 bands, DJs, and artists across 4 countries. From The Rolling Stones in Brussels to Fatboy Slim on Waiheke, Arctic Monkeys in Hungary, to Paul McCartney in Sydney. Jack White and at the Auckland Town Hall tops them all.
That was the greatest night of Rock n Roll I’ve ever witnessed.
The band swaggered on stage, Jack in (and this will shock you) a black leather jacket. They opened the gig with a brutally fantastic cover of The Stooges ‘I Wanna Be You Dog’.
The whole band that oozes coolness gave us classic tunes from The Raconteurs, The Dead Weather, The White Stripes, and a healthy dose of Jack White’s latest album ‘No Name’ which was awarded record of the year from the great Nashville Scene magazine.
A Jack White show is like a dance, and it takes two to tango. There is no setlist, there is only the moment, and what feels right to play for that specific moment. He is programming the night as he goes, he gives subtle signs to the drummer, drops the bassist a quick line, or just plays a single riff and the band flies off in a new direction into the next tune.
That level of musicianship and to be frank the behemoth-sized balls it takes to not have the safety net of a setlist is part of the allure that makes Jack White magical.
Midway through the show, Jack White and his band tore into ‘I Cut Like a Buffalo’ from The Dead Weather’s repertoire. The Town Hall turned feral. That song performed live feels like a primal release of energy. White’s snarling delivery, bursts of organ-like keys, a groovy bassline & sensational drum fills, it’s a perfect rock n roll song.
The crowd chanted in unison to ‘The Hardest Button to Button’, one of the tunes that made us fall in love with The White Stripes. The band had us wrapped up in the palm of their hand.
It wasn’t all nostalgia. Jack leaned into his new record ‘No Name’. Which is the best rock album of 2024, it’s straight up and down sensational. A highlight was, ‘That’s How I’m Feeling’, that tune is a testament to the fact that Jack White is still well and truly at the top of his game.
Before the encore, the band finished with The Raconteur's iconic ‘Steady as She Goes.’ Wide grins and smiley eyes greeted that song. It felt like a reunion with your best mate from college you hadn’t seen in a decade.
The final song of the encore couldn’t have been anything else. ‘Seven Nation Army’ is one of the most iconic rock songs ever. Hearing it live was surreal. Jack’s face lit up with an almost mischievous grin as the crowd took over the chant. It was euphoric, a beautiful moment where the artist and audience merged into one.
Jack White paused and turned to the crowd, his voice full of gratitude. “This show is dedicated to our good friend John Baker, who took The White Stripes on tour here 25 years ago.” The room erupted into applause for the man who believed in a pair of young musicians and their raw, unfiltered sound.
John Baker saw something in Jack and Meg White before the rest of the world did. He brought them to New Zealand when they were virtually unknown. It was a gamble that paid off, not just for The White Stripes but for every Kiwi music fan lucky enough to witness those early gigs.
To hear Jack White dedicate the night to Baker was special. It was a testament to the power of belief, the kind of belief that can launch careers and change lives.
In a world that too often priorities the safe, John Baker’s legacy reminds us of the magic that happens when someone dares to champion the unknown. It’s a legacy that lives on. When you think of it, this night was 25 years in the making. A night that, thanks to Baker’s belief all those years ago, will forever be etched in New Zealand’s rock ’n’ roll history.
As the final notes reverberated through the Town Hall and the band took their bow, the crowd stood half-stunned, many of us shaking our heads in disbelief. It was as if we’d been part of something sacred, something so modern yet iconically vintage. Jack White is truly beyond valuation, beyond forgery or imitation… He is one of one.
With no waver or quiver in his voice Jack White proclaimed, “This has been the greatest rock n roll show here since the Beatles in 64.”
