Snapshots: The Raconteurs Are on the Level

The Raconteurs (Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence,Patrick Keeler, and Jack White) played a two-night stand of sold out shows at Stubb's this weekend. Like a car at the very edge of control their messy, wobbly guitars delivered the kind of nervous energy you can't turn away fearing (or hoping) it might crash at any moment. By walking that dynamic line, this proficient four piece added the secret sauce to an otherwise retro focused sound.

In spite of the respectable proficiency of all the band members, it's still hard to take your attention away from Mr. White for very long, his wailing screams and copper plated gear adding continuous and significant exclamation points to the theater of the show. White's wicked harmonized guitar solos on songs like "Level", the thick distortion slabs on "Consolers of the Lonely", and the raucous pace of "Salute Your Solution" reach out to all the rock purists looking to take a break from the shy fretwork of the current indie craze. While their catalog doesn't dominate the top of karaoke lists, it does deliver a solid musical experience in a live setting, the tried-and-true test of any rock band, no?

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