Review: Jack White Pares Back Sound, Performance for Invigorating Cleveland Concert

Jack White at the Agora in Cleveland Credit: Photo by Eric Heisig

Everything about Jack White’s show Wednesday night at the Agora in Cleveland was stripped down.

The stage setup was minimal, as were the lights. They were designed to put the focus on the sounds of the instruments played by White and his backing band.
To put it simpler, this was a rock show, with none of the frills that some artists use to distract from a weak songbook. White didn’t need them; the music was strong enough on its own.

For 85 minutes, the renowned Detroit-hailing singer and guitarist tore into one tune after another, pulling from his time in The White Stripes, The Raconteurs and his solo career. The songs spanned genres that White has toyed with for more than 25 years, including punk, garage, blues and regular old rock and roll. It was all electrifying, and not just because he never picked up the acoustic guitar to his left.
White was making his first appearance in Cleveland since a 2019 show with The Raconteurs, and his first solo appearance since a 2018 concert at Jacobs Pavilion. Wednesday night’s ticket was a hot one, and the 2,000-capacity Agora sold out months ago.

This was expected. White has a fervent fan base that pleaded for a Cleveland show as he played other cities, including Cincinnati and Columbus, during a tour that’s lasted for the better part of a year. He has also mostly performed in smaller venues during this go-round.

He’s also touring behind his best solo album, last year’s No Name. The set drew heavily from it and benefited from using the same minimalist aesthetic.

After taking the stage, vamping on a chord and imploring the crowd to chant “hey,” he launched into “Old Scratch Blues,” the first song off his latest album.

The music rarely stopped after that, and one tune bled into the next. The stop-and-start of “That’s How I’m Feeling,” atmospheric takes on “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground” and “The Union Forever” and the traveling preacher-impersonating “Archbishop Harold Holmes” were all of a piece, as were riff-heavy takes on “Sixteen Saltines” and “Icky Thump.”

These weren’t just regular old run-throughs, though. White’s working with what’s likely the best backing band of his solo career. Moments where he played off bassist Dominic John Davis, keyboardist Bobby Emmett and drummer Patrick Keeler were nearly as memorable as the songs themselves. Keeler in particular frequently nailed aping the rhythms White scratched out on his guitar while Emmett proved a worthy foil as he doubled up on the guitarist’s solos.

The night closed with The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army,” making the Agora sound like a timeout at a hockey game as the crowd instinctively sang along with the tune’s riff.

White hopped around as he jammed on his slide guitar. The band crescendoed multiple times but it always led back to the guitarist plucking out that minimal riff, the simplicity making it all the more powerful.

The opener, Cleveland quartet MK Ultras, played for a little more than 20 minutes but made the most of its time. The band treated its set as an overview of different strands of punk rock while frontman Emmett O’Connor—perhaps better known as one half of Archie and the Bunkers—prowled across the stage. White has used local bands for openers on this tour, and chose well for the Agora.

Eric Heisig is a freelance writer in Cleveland. He can be reached at eheisig@gmail.com.

Subscribe to Cleveland Scene newsletters.