You may be thinking to yourself, “John, didn’t you just see the Dead Weather in May?” Yes. Yes, I did. The fact that I was willing to spend hard earned money to see them again so soon should be a testament to how great that show was. Their show this Friday night at the Congress Theater was no exception.

The opening band was Harlem. They might have been more entertaining if they had gone from one song to the next, but the length of banter between songs was almost as long as the songs themselves. They were sort of like a modern version of the Ramones with heavy surf pop influences. The less time you stand there and talk and tune, the less opportunity you give people to start booing you. Their material didn’t really seem to complement any potential Dead Weather setlist, but that’s okay. A little showmanship will take you a lot further, fellas.

The Dead Weather opened with “No Horse” and I was initially worried about the sound quality at Congress. This was my first visit to the venue, but the vocals were quickly sorted out and I didn’t think about it the rest of the night. This time around I managed to score a better vantage point. It’s impressive to see everyone switch instruments so effortlessly (and quickly; take note, Harlem). As far as I could tell, Jack Lawrence was the only one to sticks with his bass at all times. Jack White and Alison Mosshart pull triple duty (drums/vocals/guitars and vocals/guitar/keys respectively) with Dean Fertita switching from guitar to keys and back.

If anything, Mosshart’s stage presence has increased in a mere two months. There’s a peculiar allure to her. If I were an inmate in her prison, I’d get myself sent to solitary often in hopes that my trouble-making would one day catch her attention and she’d know my name. I like to imagine that instead of having hobbies like knitting or playing cards, she prefers to slaughter livestock. What this does for me I couldn’t tell you. One begins to suspect that she doesn’t eat at all and simply nibbles on the souls of sweaty concert goers.  When she and White duo on “Will There Be Enough Water,” between their combined vocals and his guitar playing, it’s easy to doubt that either one of them could be human.  To steal a line from Hamlet, “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” I like to think those undreamt things make Dead Weather shows possible.

I could go on with methaphors ad nauseum, suffice to say it was one of those shows that makes me want to quit my job and be a full time rock star.  Knowing I would probably try to review it later, I tried my best remember the setlist from the start. It became increasingly difficult about halfway through and before they finished I was having too much fun to care anymore. Here’s the best I can remember. When an official version is available, I’ll post it here.

No Horse
60 Feet Tall
Hang You From The Heavens
You Just Can’t Win
So Far From Your Weapon
I Cut Like A Buffalo
Gasoline
The Difference Between Us*
I’m Mad*
Bone House*†
Die By The Drop*
Hustle and Cuss *
New Pony*
Will There Be Enough Water

Blue Blood Blues
Jawbreaker*†
I Can’t Hear You*
Treat Me Like Your Mother

*Songs may be out of order
†Uncertain of title or if the song was played or imagined

Filed under: General by John