The White Stripes invade Coney Island!!!

I left Keyspan Park last night thinking the same thing I was thinking when I left the Aragon Ballroom on New Year’s eve 2003 "The White Stripes may very well be the best live rock and roll band in the world right now". I know this is a very bold statement but it just seems to be true. Very few other bands can create the type of energy that Jack and Meg can. And even on a bad night The White Stripes are better than most other bands are on a good night.
This year saw Jack take the White Stripe in a different direction with the release of their fourth album "Get Behind Me Satan". Jack began to expand the musical range of the band. Much of "G.B.M.S" left me wondering how these songs would come across live, because of the addition of all the new instruments.
But the White Stripes aren’t the kind of band that disappoints fans. From the moment the loud intro music began blaring the words "who’s a big baby" the large crowd at Keyspan Park was stirred into frenzy. For two nights in a row Jack and Meg wowed the crowed with their special blend of rock and blues. The set lists were a mixture of both old and new material and covers by Bob Dylan, Tegan and Sara, Captian Beefheart, Dolly Parton, and Son House. The highlight of the first night for we was when they played a short version of "Ball and Biscuit" into "Hello Operator". This was not only the best part of both shows but is some of the best playing I have ever seen The White Stripes perform. It was so fast and vicious that most of the crowd didn’t even realize that the had quickly switched songs. This is also a perfect example of how the White Stripes have progressed in their live shows. Although they have always moved from one song to the next this tour saw them do this more than normal and with a different variety of songs. I don’t think that these transitions were as tight as they were on the tours that supported "Elephant", but they are taking more risk with them. "Little Ghost" is the one song that I feel points The White Stripes in a direction I am very excited about. This very traditionally arrange bluegrass song. When preformed live it comes off sounding is very reminisecent of a mixture between Bill Monroe and Led Zepplin’s "Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp". I was also very impressed by how well "the Nurse" translated to the live show format. It has been shortened in length and the tempo has been speed up. Jack also played up to the audience by taking photos of him and Meg with a Polaroid camera and then throwing them into the audience. The one flaw I would say about these two shows was the lack of "Take, Take, Take". The crowd called for this song quite often over the two nights. Overall both Coney Island shows were magnificent.

Setlist: Coney Island Saturday September 24, 2005
Black Math, Blue Orchid, Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground, Passive Manipulation, Jolene, My Doorbell, Cannon/John the Revelator, Screwdriver, Passive Manipulation, The Nurse. Forever for Her, Death Letter, Hotel Yorba, Hardest Button to Button Think I Smell a Rat, Walking with a Ghost, Ball and a Biscuit -> Hello Operator, Union Forever
ENCORE:
I'm Lonely (But I Ain't That Lonely Yet), Red Rain, Cold Cold Night, Let's Shake Hands, We're Going to Be Friends, Little Ghost
Ball and a Biscuit (extended), Seven Nation Army, Boll Weevil

Setlist: Coney Island Sunday September 25, 2005
When I Hear My Name, Blue Orchid, Party of Special Things To Do, Lovesick, My Doorbell, Cannon, Little Room, Passive Manipulation, Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground, The Nurse, Sister Do You Know My Name, Death Letter/Grinning In Your Face, Hotel Yorba, Same Boy You've Always Known, I Think I Smell a Rat intro>Girl You Have No Faith In Medicine
ENCORE:
Denial Twist, Hardest Button to Button (Aborted), RedRain/Hardest Button to Button, Ball and Biscuit, Seven Nation Army, Screwdriver, Boll Weevil

You can see more of my photographs from Coney Island here
Also both of these shows were recorded and I will update with a bt seed link as soon as I see one.