WIN! The new White Stripes documentary
![TheWhiteStripes_CD[1]](http://www.fuelfriendsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/TheWhiteStripes_CD1-300x298.jpg "TheWhiteStripes_CD[1]")
CORRECTION: Fuel/Friends gets to give away the White Stripes’ new DVD of Under Great White Northern Lights and the companion live CD. My deep apologies for the confusion between me and the PR people (but hey, it’s still a cool prize, for free).
Under Great White Northern Lights was filmed to capture moments from Jack & Meg’s summer 2007 tour across Canada, from the big city venues to the smalltown bowling alleys. This tour (in support of Icky Thump) represented their last live performances for a good two years, until they recently resurfaced on Conan.
TO WIN: Leave me a comment telling me about either your favorite White Stripes concert moment or your favorite White Stripes song, and why. I will pick one winner before I board a plane to SXSW next Wednesday.
And speaking of White Stripes and SXSW in the same breath, how awesome does this look? I’ll be there, and try to not wear my Third Man Records shirt to the store that day. Last year at SXSW, in another one of those surreal moments that thankfully seem to pepper my life lately, I had tapas with the director of this film, Emmett Malloy, and we chatted about the making of this documentary. It feels full circle that I’ll probably get to finally see a screening of it at SXSW this year. Wahoo!
Name: Heather Browne
I saw them play live in a hotel concert hall in Guatemala City. Get Behind Me Satan was still a few weeks from being released. This was a small miracle as I live and breath the band and never expected them to play there. Guatemala is an extremely poor country and not many bands visit. I had to buy tickets at this one particular gas station in the city. As far as I know it was the only place that sold them. I sat with the press on a second-story mezzanine overlooking the crowd and stage for the show. The show saw Jack White do several unique things. When he played marimba on The Nurse, the crowd came unglued as the instrument itself is widely used throughout the country almost like a national instrument. White also sang, “No, I’ll never, no I’ll never, no I’ll never let you down now, Guatemala”. Later, he let us know the band would be back to play on top of the temples in the ancient Mayan city of Tikal.
During Jolene the crowd enthusiastically sang along and it struck me how this band from Detroit managed to bring a roomful of hundreds of Guatemalans to an emotional response through song. A song several in attendance did not understand the words to. I know Jack has said in the past that if you are a fan of the band then you are really a member of the band. It certainly felt like it when they got the crowd to sing along with them. The universal nature of the band was really on full display. For them to play their songs and mention Tikal and use the marimba was a nice nod of validation to the country and it’s people. If I could speak to them directly, I would thank Jack and Meg for performing in Guatemala City. It means a great deal to me that the band played there. I know I will remember the experience for the rest of my life.
Tom — March 15, 2010 @ 7:03 pm
My favorite White Stripes song is Hotel Yorba because it is my 5 yr old grandson’s favorite song. I introduced him to the WS awhile back and now he knows many songs and can recognize Jack’s voice in an instant. He loves to watch the video and I indulge him by letting him watch as many times as he wants. Last summer, when he was 4 and before I knew he was such a WS fan, we were sitting on my front porch and I was singing to him. Probably something along the lines of “I’ve Been working on the Railroad” or something. He said “Grandma, could you not sing that song and sing the elevator song instead?” I was puzzled and quickly tried to think of any children’s songs I knew with an elevator story line but couldn’t come up with anything. I said “Is there anything else you can tell me about the song?. He replied “You know, he counts 1,2,3,4 and then they go on an elevator.” I jumped at the chance and in a short while he knew all the words and now we sing it together alot. I always grab hold of him and give him a hug when we sing “Grab hold of me cuz I’m your favorite fellow”. BTW, his favorite part of the video is where Meg is jumping on the bed.
Thanks for the chance to tell one of my favorite stories.
Marcia Barnes — March 15, 2010 @ 8:21 pm
There’s the most gorgeous moment on The White Stripes’ live performance of ‘Jolene’ in Blackpool, when Jack White asks the crowd about how George Harrison used to say “The Beatles used to go and see Blackpool Lights”. Met with a rumble of discord and boozy confusion, he continues “Different place altogether..?” and the crowd vaguely responds “Nooo!”. Jack White replies, “I’m in the right place, the wrong time?”, to which the audience cries out happily, and White says “That’s how I feel every day!” In that sentence, he reveals everything you need to know about Jack White and everything I love about the White Stripes. Their otherworldly genius is equal parts frightening and intoxicating, and little gems like this at their live shows remind us why.
Viantha — March 16, 2010 @ 1:31 am
My favorite white stripes song is “astro” from their self-titled debut. The reason being is that is was the first stripes song that got me interested in the band. Their cohesive, straight ahead rock and roll sound captivated me with this song. I found myself chuckling at the lyric “maybe mama does the astro astro” which made me realize the simple yet profound way they carry their sound. As I listen to it all I can picture is the red and white peppermint candy rolling down the street…
Rick Gallant — March 16, 2010 @ 9:31 am
My favorite White Stripes song is “Ball and a Biscuit”, live on VH1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03YUgHAshSo). I love the way he is just hacking at the strings, hitting weird combinations of open strings that shouldn’t sound good, but he makes them sound good in a really fantastic raw blusey way. I also love the way he delivers his vocals with such swagger and playfully hits all the innuendo. And the solos absolutely shred, but that goes without saying, its Jack White.
Tim McIntyre — March 16, 2010 @ 7:38 pm
September 25th, 2005-Coney Island,N.Y. My friend Graham had an extra ticket to the White Stripes in my own backyard, Brooklyn.
It was a Sunday and I had my regular plan of meeting my father for drinks and watching football, then hit Coney island for the gig.
I remember walking up the boardwalk seeing Graham, his girlfriend and my old friend Tracy, Tracy’s brother Chris and HEATHER. God, she had red hair for days. Blue eyes that would make the sky envious and a heart melting smile. God, she was beautiful.
Initially, we met two years earlier at a Morissey concert at the Apollo in Harlem. Tracy sat in between us that night, I would sneak peaks at her all night long. I was way to shy to speak to her and she didn’t seem to notice me.
A year after that, I had plans to meet with Tracy for M. Ward at the Bowery Ballroom on a Sunday night. My girlfriend at the time broke up with me a week before my best friends wedding where I was to be best man the Saturday night before M.Ward. The wedding was great, I had a good time,but, the empty chair next to me that day wore at me. Come Sunday morning, I wasn’t going anywhere.
Heather was at that show with Tracy.
Back to September 25th,the White Stripes in Coney Island, we got there early for drink at a local pub. We talked about M.Ward, who was opening for the White Stripes. About how i used to go to Coney island with my Dad as a kid. It was cool and easy.
During the show, we hooted, danced and sang together. We held hands as we walked to make a beer run together. It was great. We exchanged numbers and made plans to have dinner soon.
Flash forward to the present day and we are engaged to get married,Saturday, September 25th, 2010. Six years to the day we met at the White Stripes.
As for the White Stripes that day: I remember them being great, I remember enjoying myself,but, it really is all secondary. I am very appreciative to the band for being the impetus of bringing us to Coney Island that day.
Thanks,
Michael
Michael — March 16, 2010 @ 8:40 pm
Man alive, these were all great to read. Every one of them. Thanks guys for sharing.
The winner I picked is jeffrey k., for his eloquent comment that sums up what we all hope to find in the music we love. Thanks.
browneheather — March 16, 2010 @ 10:06 pm
My favorite live white stripes moment was when…..well…errr….when i never saw them live because they backed out of ACL ’07 at the last second because of Meg’s bullshit “mental breakdown”
Todd Hansen — March 21, 2010 @ 10:47 am
One of the best shows I have ever seen was the White Stripes’ set at the now-defunct Music Midtown Festival in Atlanta Georgia. I believe the year was 2004. My friends and I were situated near the stage and also near the hospitality tent for the “alternative” radio station in town that shall remain nameless because they sucked.
The benefit of our location was the use of their port-a-potty, and it was inside said toilet that I had one of my finest concert experiences, which is also related to my favorite White Stripes Song: Black Math.
Have you ever taken a leak while watching one of your favorite bands play one of your favorite songs? Not on television or off a screen mind you, but in the flesh, through the perforated holed of a port-a-potty window?
Well, I have.
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