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(More customer reviews)This video is an adventure. It's the second White Stripes live DVD, following the concert-only Under Blackpool Lights. This DVD, however, is more of a documentary with live shows thrown in, rather than a concert DVD.
For those unfamiliar with the Stripes, they are a Detroit-based duo of Jack and Meg White (whom Jack presents as brother/sister though they were actually married AND divorced before their second album was released). Jack loves novelties and is obsessed with the number 3, and the band's motif of red, white, and black. If you are a fan of most types of rock, you will love them (or at least some of their assorted songs, there's at least one for everyone). I watched this with my parents (my mom loves Elvis and my dad is a Zeppelin fan), and immediately afterward they wanted me to add the White Stripes to their computers/iPods.
The movie follows the band as they tour each Canadian province and play shows, not only in concert halls, but in parks, on boats, on buses, in schools, and with native Canadians. It gives you a look into the day-to-day of Jack and Meg, and what their ambitions for the band and themselves are as far as the tour goes; Jack also gives great insight into what direction he follows and what creative process he uses for the band. Meg even talks, and they talk about why she never talks, to some laughs for those of us who know Meg as a shy, rarely-interviewed introvert. Interspersed as well are the novelty concerts that are paired with each major show, which show really not the novelty of each show but of Jack and Meg themselves, two oddballs with an idea that a band can be creative within the confines of an idea and a motif, and to explore this motif to its limit.
Now, on to the concerts themselves: blown away. Jack's live shows are heartfelt performances, and he plays to each different audience as if it were a group of his closest friends, knowing exactly what songs to play, including the fa- favorite B-Side cover version of Dolly Parton's "Jolene," which always seems so passionate (even though it's told from the point of view of a woman). Each song is a concert-ready version of its album counterpart, generally not played the same way ("Fell In Love With A Girl" uses chords strummed individually with little distortion, as opposed to the ever-popular studio version), and you can see that they work to make each show special. They play without a set list, and so it's more of a jam session of your favorite White Stripes songs. When Jack plays the B-Side Black Jack Davey in a park with Meg on the tambourine, giving very little or no notice that they were playing there, it conjures images of Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. It's those small town where maybe they've never even heard anything the Stripes have done, only in name do they know them, maybe a rumor of their tour of Canada, but you can tell the people know something special is happening, and in each town a crowd gathers that is very substantial for how small the town itself is.
By the end of the tour, you can see why they canceled their U.S. tour: they seem very weary and stressed out. And when the video ends with Meg crying as Jack plays piano and sings "White Moon", you can tell they've been stretched thin, but it seems like they loved the journey, and you will, too.
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The White Stripes: Under Great White Northern Lights (2010)92 minute documentary film containing footage from the 2007 Canadian tour shot and directed by Emmett Malloy.In the summer of 2007, shortly after the release of their 6th album 'Icky Thump', The White Stripes headed north of their hometown of Detroit to embark on an ambitious journey across Canada. The plan was to play a show in every province and territory in Canada, from B.C. to Newfoundland to Nunavut. 'Having never done a tour of Canada, Meg and I thought it was high time to go whole hog... from the ocean to the permafrost' says Jack White. 'We wanted to play out of the way towns that don't usually get shows... the shows are better, it's better for the people, it's a better experience, it's way more unique, something interesting is going to happen... hopefully.'White called upon filmmaker Emmett Malloy to come and document this trek for the band. Malloy had directed videos forthe band in the past, and seemed eager to hit the road with them. Equipped with a couple of 16mm cameras, and a few other documenting devices, the band and crew all headed north. The end result was 'Under Great White Northern Lights'. 'Under Great White Northern Lights' is a visual and emotional feature length film documenting The White Stripes making their way through Canada and culminating with their 10th anniversary show in Nova Scotia. The film documents the band playing shows all over Canada; from local bowling alleys, to city buses, and onward to the legendary Savoy Theater for the10th Anniversary show. A show that turned out to be the longest show the band had ever done on stage together.The film captures intimate moments of Jack and Meg both on and off stage as they travel through some of the mostremote parts of the northern Yukon Territory. Along the way, they have some nice casual conversations about their ten years together, fire cannons, play some of their biggest songs together on stage, and even play a 'one note show.' The cameras were there to capture every waking moment.What 'Northern Lights' does best, is document one of the biggest bands in the world, playing to local crowds in small towns. Some of these towns were so small that many of the locals had no idea who The White Stripes were - they just knew something big was going on in their town. This forced a band that had been together for a decade to go back to a place reminiscent of the first shows they ever played together. For the first time in a long time, no one knew who they were and they had to make a first impression with their music. The live footage captured in this film shows that Jack and Meg were clearly ready for this.Beyond the live footage, some of the films most memorable moments happen off-stage - offering an insightful look into the very private and complex world that is The White Stripes. It was shortly after this tour that The White Stripes canceledtheir fall tour of the United States - making the ten year anniversary a truly pivotal milestone for this legendary band.Blu-Ray track-listing:1. Let's Shake Hands2. Black Jack Davey3. Black Math4. Little Ghost5. Blue Orchid6. The Union Forever7. Icky Thump [Version from Film]8. Apple Blossom9. Wheels On The Bus10. We Are Going To Be Friends11. Let's Build A Home12. Catfish Blues13. Hello Operator14. Screwdriver15. Cold Cold Night16. Slowly Turning Into You17. Lord Send Me An Angel18. Jolene19. I Want To Be The Boy To Warm Your Mother's Heart20. Catch Hell Blues21. I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself22. Death Letter23. Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn24. Fell In Love With A Girl25. When I Hear My Name26. Wasting My Time27. My Doorbell28. Seven Nation Army29. White Moon
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