The White Stripes Across Canada: Ottawa

ChartAttack will have reviews, photos and news from most of The White Stripes' cross-Canada tour. Check back to this space for updates on the duo's whereabouts and goings-on as they tour the Great White North. We've just posted reviews from Montreal and London as well as this report from Ottawa. You can find the other two in our index at the bottom of the story.

By the time The White Stripes hit Ottawa, their fans were fully organized. Speculation of where and if the Stripes would play one of their now-famous "secret" shows began days ahead on various online bulletin boards. On the day of the concert, groups wandered the downtown streets of the capital, poking their noses into possible venues and watching intently for out-of-the-ordinary flashes of red and white.

Alas, 'twas not to be. The band played a small secret show alright, but it was for a group of about 40 terminally ill children and their families at the Bronson Centre. The fans sighed heavily, praised the Stripes for their generosity and then headed down to Lebreton Flats, the site of this year's Ottawa Bluesfest.

While acts like Shout Out Out Out Out, Joel Plaskett Emergency and Mihirangi played other festival stages, a few hundred eager White Stripes fans camped out in front of the main stage hours before their headlining set, which was cleared in the late afternoon to make way for the building of the familiar, red-cloaked stage. Some fans texted messages back to the online bulletin boards, reporting when Meg's candy-striped drums were in place.

By the time Leahy finished their set on the opposite end of the field, thousands of fans had their backs turned to the Celtic band, staring intently at the empty Stripes stage. It was by far the biggest show of the Stripes tour thus far — the Flats fields can handle upwards of 35,000 music lovers, and there was a shoulder-to-shoulder crush for the Stripes.

Jack and Meg White walked onstage at precisely 9:30 p.m., tearing into "Stop Breaking Down" and "When I Hear My Name" without much fanfare, but a lot of energy. At first, Jack seemed to concentrate on his impressive riffing, letting loose on "Death Letter" and "Wasting My Time," but barely acknowledging the audience. He stopped long enough to say he read a newspaper headline that asked, "Are the White Stripes bluesy enough to headline Bluesfest?" Jack shook his head and said, "Someone must be colour-blind."

And throughout the 50-minute main set, he seemed determined to cast all doubt from that missive, remaining in the blues spectrum by playing mostly older material and few hits. Meg watched him closely for cues when she wasn't lost in her own rhythmic reverie. It was a ferocious set, but definitely one for hardcore fans. While the tens of thousands of Ottawans were appreciative, the ones toward the back were perhaps being polite.

Jack left the stage abruptly and without a goodbye after a blistering version of "Ball And Biscuit," leaving Meg at her drums. She soon skipped off stage, too, before the band returned for a 35-minute encore that was really more like a second set.

Jack became more engaged with the crowd for these songs, which included familiar favourites "Hotel Yorba," "Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground" and "Seven Nation Army." He even broke a smile a couple times and thanked the crowd profusely at the end of "Boll Weevil" before waving the Ontario flag.

And the verdict from the fervent bulletin boards? "Meg and Jack saved my soul with rock and roll this evening," was one online comment. "Pretty much the best show of my life," was another.

Well done, White Stripes, your conquering of Canada continues without a hitch.