Some bands sound much better live than on their records. I have been listening to Jack White and the White Stripes for years, but I don't believe I ever fully appreciated this band or lead singer Jack White until I saw White in concert Thursday night at Chicago's Radius nightclub.

The Stripes defined stripped-down rock and roll with Jack on guitar and vocals and his former wife, Meg, on drums. Meg is not part of Jack's solo shows, but he was joined on stage tonight by keyboardist Bobby Emmett, bassist Dominic Davis and drummer Patrick Keeler. Their slightly less stripped-down arrangements retained the driving rhythms and blazing guitar solos that defined the Whites' early career.

The band mixed equal parts Jack White solo works with songs from the White Stripes catalog. They included a couple of covers, including one with a surprise guest. Black Crowes lead singer was in town for a Friday night Tinley Park performance, so he stepped on stage to sing "I'm a Mover," a deep cut from Free's first album.

The show's ending was perfect, as the crowd pumped fists and chanted loudly to the anthem, "Seven Nation Army."

Jack White knows how to rock a large concert hall while retaining his garage band roots.

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/jack-white/2026/radius-chicago-il-3b76288c.html