Your fate is in the hands of so many others at a show. The employees at the venue, your fellow concert goers, and even supply chain issues. That’s what I experienced on a sweltering ninety-eight-degree Saturday for Jack White’s Supply Chain Issues tour.

To get a prime spot on the floor, my pasty skinned complexation waited in the energy draining heat with other Jack White enthusiasts for around five and a half hours. During my lengthy wait, I questioned why I didn’t shell out the money to get a VIP ticket that allows early access to the venue without waiting in a line. I was also interested in purchasing the limited-edition event poster available to only those who get to the show early.

I recognized someone that was also in the line at the Jack White show back in 2018. That year she was first in line since she arrived at 5:00 AM. Later that day the devoted fan was devastated to learn lottery winners from Jack White’s Record Club were allowed into the venue a few minutes before the doors opened. Her front row center dreams were crushed … that year. 

Time went quickly while the music lovers in line recalled favorite Jack moments. Since this was my eleventh time seeing Mr. White, I had plenty of stories to share. A woman wearing cut-off jeans and stockings fainted from the heat. After she received medical attention, security took her inside to get away from the sun (and probably my long-winded stories). 

My wife joined me in line with food and water probably preventing me from passing out as well. We devised a strategy that had me sprinting to get the limited-edition poster (I even had a poster tube for it) and my wife to claim prime real estate in front of the stage. When the doors opened, we were instructed to secure our phones in Yondr Pouches to create a phone free space during the concert. White has implemented this practice a few years ago. He wants to see the audience’s faces not their phones. After getting through security, I darted to the merch booth. I requested the coveted poster and was ….denied. I was informed due to supply chain issues the posters were not delivered to the venue in time. Yes. Supply chain issue during Jack White’s Supply Chain Issues Tour. After letting out a scream like Luke Skywalker finding out Darth Vader was his father, I tossed my empty poster tube in the trash. I brushed off the disappointment and went off to find my wife in the crowd.

After pushing my way through the masses, I found my wife standing second row center and the woman that was literally derailed from her front row center dreams in 2018 … currently front row center. Standing right next to me was Josh Akin AKA Jo Shakin a Jack White super fan. We befriended him in line back in 2019 at The Raconteurs concert (another Jack White band). The VIPs were predominantly on the rail up against the stage and a few VIPs were standing right next to us.

A disc jockey positioned on the side of the stage proclaimed his job was to “play bangers.” His music selections included everything for The Jackson Five to Morris Day and The Time to The Violent Femmes. He introduced the opening band the Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio with a Michael Buffer style announcement. The Seattle, WA soul-jazz band wowed the crowd with their improvisational grooves. Their secret weapon was guitarist Jimmy James whose playing and facial expressions mesmerizing the crowd. The band ended with the 1980’s classic Careless Whisper by Wham! (not the song you would expect from a jazz trio). 

Waiting for the main event, the DJ pumped up the crowd again with his self-described bangers including David Bowie’s Modern Love. There was a short bald bushy bearded man behind us named Todd. He seemed easy going and appreciated that we positioned ourselves in a way that gave him a clear view of the rock God about to step onto the stage. But things changed the moment the curtain raised.

Just when a blue haired White appeared, Todd’s drugs kicked into his blood stream. He did a violent Grateful Dead like dance spasm that involved banging into everyone around him. The crowd attempted to reason with him throughout the performance. Unfortunately, there was nothing that would stop a drug fueled Todd. Security was called. They unfortunately just stared at his beady dilated pupils and walked away. At one point, I felt water on my legs and realized it was the sweat dripping down from Todd’s beard. 

During the performance, a young woman with an Australian accent asked to stand in front of us. We denied her request because we didn’t wait in the sweltering heat for hours to let a stranger take our spots. She charmed her way in front of the people next to us. That’s when the woman from down under started vaping sending smoke directly into our eyes. She also had a forbidden phone out filming the concert. When the band left the stage before their encore, security confiscated her device. They returned it in a Yondr Pouch. She quickly broke into the pouch and began filming again. 

White had an intense focus that could be the results of his new marriage, a no sugar diet, and/or his blue hair. Bass player Dominic Davis, drummer Daru Jones, and keyboardist Quincy McCrary blew the roof off the joint. The setlist interspersed songs from White’s recently released album Fear of the Dawn and his not yet released album Entering Heaven Alive along with his older material. There weren’t any big music surprises, but I was thrilled to hear the slow guitar blues of Ball and a Biscuit and the pandemic themed Lazaretto. The crack of White’s passionate voice during Love Is Selfish sent a chill down my spine. It was well worth enduring the heat and rude characters around us.

After the show at a nearby hotel bar, we were getting a well-deserved drink still covered in Todd’s sweat and the Australian’s vape smoke. That’s when Jack White’s drummer Daru Jones came through the lobby. We thanked him for an amazing performance. He was extremely kind and humble. After he put on his fancy glasses, he posed for a picture with us.

See you at the next show. I’ll be Todd sweat free…. hopefully.