(c) David James Swanson
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a perfect set like the one Jack White delivered at Bridgestone Arena on January 28. White is known to love his hometown Nashville and it truly showed when he invited musical legend Loretta Lynn to open for him. Nowhere but in Nashville will you ever find this type of combo of great talent yet completely opposite genres and generations perform together in one night.
When White asked Lynn to play “Whispering Sea” with him, she joked that she had not performed that song since she recorded it in the 50’s. White thanked Lynn deeply for the honor of playing with him, noting that he was surprised she was still able to perform at her age, to which Lynn jokingly replied: “I’m gonna stick around just to aggravate you.”
One hour into the set, White took an intermission just to return to the stage with The Ranconteurs for two songs. The lights changed from purple to yellow and the unexpected surprise had the audience go wild with excitement and delight. White also performed several White Stripes songs, and ended his set with their hit song “Seven Nation Army.”
Yesterday’s show seemed like a musical journey through the many projects White has taken on over the years, highlighting the best of each and resulting in an unforgettable evening inspiring the masses and reminding everyone why we love Nashville so very much. We truly have it all here.
