In the first episode of the new season of A Prairie Home Companion, the show’s host, Chris Thile, welcomed Jack White and his bandmates to the stage. White performed guitar/vocals while his band consisted of the bassist, Dominic Davis, steel guitarist, Fats Kaplan, and fiddler/vocals, Lillie Mae Rische. This performance came at opportune timing for White, who is just coming off the release of his new album Jack White Acoustic Recordings: 1998-2016. Featuring four tracks on this new work, the premiere of A Prairie Home Companion held the bluegrass, acoustic nature that is familiar with the program while also introducing Jack White’s new style.
Held at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, MN, the concert was sold out. Four songs were on White’s set list, and one of which was the bluegrass and soul tune of “I’m Lonely (But I Ain’t That Lonely Yet).” Alongside White, the new and promising artist, Margo Price, performed this duet with a sincerity that was as sincere as it was nearly sarcastic, being a mellow version of the White Stripes song. The song consisted of both artists singing their own verses and joining together for a chorus and vocal fills. Even more, the song was arranged with mandolin and fiddle fills by the band, showing a high level of musical virtuosity. Watch White and Price perform below…
In addition to the Margo Price duet, Jack White and his band played versions of the songs “City Lights” and “Carolina Drama” by the White Stripes and The Raconteurs. Both renditions still held the essence that White was capturing in the premiere of the program’s season. White’s bluegrass band and wavering vocals put forth a different Jack White than the average person knows. The song “The Lincoln Park Inn,” a 1969 classic by Tom T. Hall, was also a number done by the band. Watch the performances below…
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