The White Stripes Across Canada: Charlottetown

In an area know for potatoes, seafood and the warmest waters north of the Carolinas, Charlottetown, P.E.I. isn't what you think of as a typical touring destination for rock bands looking to sell tickets. Known as a summer destination playground, you're bound to find more Anne Of Green Gables impersonators than rock stars.

On July 11, however, rumours began to spread that Jack White was spotted on the streets and that the next secret White Stripes show was destined for the Confederation City. As people waited to see if they were going to be in the right place at the right time to get a glimpse of the famous duo, tickets for the main evening show rose slightly throughout the day. The secret show turned out to be on a small boat that carried only the band, so nobody ended up getting up close and personal with the Stripes early in the day.

By 6 p.m., the street in front of the Charlottetown Civic Centre started to fill with eager fans waiting to get inside. At first glance you might think the crowd was filled with beer-soaked teenagers, but a second look revealed that it was as diverse as the P.E.I. landscape itself.

After a bit of confusion when trying to get situated in our seats, we caught a glimpse of Dan Sartain and his band. The boys played a strong set and gave the best they had. However, very few if any in attendance recognized Sartain's tunes, so the crowd sat motionless waiting to see the man who brought them a song that was on The Simpsons.

With a quick change-over and a few adjustments made by the Clockwork Orange-looking stage crew, Jack and Meg made their first appearance. The half-empty arena erupted at Jack's presence, but I truly began to wonder if many people even knew The White Stripes' music. For the first few songs, including "Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground" and "Icky Thump," the crowd sat quietly, waiting to be entertained for the money they had spent.

With every song they recognized from their local radio station, they seemed to get more and more enthused. The band played hard and put on a show worthy of much more energy from the 2,000 or so people in attendance. They only received partial credit for their meticulously detailed stage set-up which included maple leaves on the amps.

Not until "Seven Nation Army" got the fans dancing in the aisles did I realize that Charlottetown just wasn't getting it. This thought was reinforced when I saw a twenty-something gentleman with a red faux hawk trying to slam dance with a girl and a kid with a Cow's Ice Cream shirt on. I sat for the last couple of songs feeling bad for everyone who failed to realize they're seeing this decade's Led Zeppelin and are more interested in playing grab ass and texting each other across the arena. Through no fault of their own, The White Stripes would have had a better chance if they had played this week's top 40 songs and let the tailgaters bring in their own beer.