White Stripes - Opera House

Am I the only one who thinks the White Stripes are overrated? Just a bit? I haven't heard this much hype about an album since Radiohead's Ok Computer. I mean, everyone loves the White Stripes, especially the know-it-all "critics". Every one of them. I wonder if I would actually like Jack and Meg much more if I didn't have this adverse reaction to everyone telling me how great they are all the time. Seriously.

I do like 6 or 7 of their songs, a lot. They do have their own thing going on with Meg's straight ahead drums and Jack's huge guitar sound. I respect their ability to strike out in new directions, and Get Behind Me Satan definitely doesn't sound forced or fake. And I do think Jack is a great songwriter and kick-ass frontman, but for some reason a lot of his songs just aren't exactly my favorites. So sue me.

Last night at the Opera House it seemed to me something was missing. Maybe it's because we were up in the balcony where any distortion on the guitar turned the whole mix to mush. I guess the Opera House wasn't acoustically designed in 1928 for amps with the gain turned up to 11. Meg's drums were thunderous and fill-less, propelling songs along like a freight train. Jack played all their hits without a set list and often in unusual arrangements (Hotel Yorba on piano, for example), which was very cool. So why do I still feel a bit disappointed?

For true White Stripes fans who think I'm full of crap, here's Eileen's review of the same show.