The White Stripes Across Canada: Glace Bay 10th Anniversary Show

Blinding strobe lights, thrilling electric guitar and the heart-thumping boom of drum beats? That definitely ain't your good ol' fashioned Cape Breton kitchen party. But despite a whole lot of noise and lights on stage, bona fide rock stars The White Stripes turned their 10th anniversary concert into a family reunion at an intimate venue nestled in the heart of rural Nova Scotia — even though they could have attracted tens of thousands of maniacal music fans in a major city centre.

And if you weren't actually related to the talented twosome, who have roots in the coastal Canadian province, they certainly made everyone in the audience feel like family.

"We're going to play a bit longer show than we usually play, is that alright?" a sly Jack White asked mid-set, ready for the room to erupt into enthusiastic ear-piercing screams. "Meg and I have so many cousins here, we can't even count... this is like a home away from home."

Jack's connection to Cape Breton was plenty hyped up before The White Stripes made their way across Canada. Researchers and reporters linked the band's lead singer and primary songwriter to Celtic musicians Buddy MacMaster and Natalie MacMaster, notorious fiddler Ashley MacIsaac and hockey sensation Al MacInnis.

With their east coast ancestry in mind, Jack and "big sister" Meg White kept it quaint for the 761 privileged few who knew they were in for a treat when they walked into Glace Bay's Savoy Theatre, a Victorian-style show house that looks like it was made for the unique celebration with luxurious red carpet lining the aisles and a gorgeous ceiling painted in the band's signature colours.

Meg and Jack played their first public gig as The White Stripes on July 14, 1997 in their hometown of Detroit, Michigan. The small Savoy show 10 years later sold out in 12 minutes. Before the birthday bash began, ticket holders waited patiently outside the glass doors of the venue. Hardcore followers stood out in their colour-co-ordinated outfits, ranging from a man in a white suit pimped out with a black fedora and sunglasses to girls accessorizing with red earrings, headbands and ballet flats. Some not-so-lucky locals searched for scalpers, including two young men who held up a piece of red bristol board that read "Need 2 tickets — cash — willing to drop pants."

"They're the biggest act to come here in recent memory," James MacKinnon, 19, said of why he was willing to produce the goods to get into the show.

"And it's such a small venue," 19-year-old Justin Metcalfe agreed.

Concert-goers ranged from children to seniors, with many grey-haired attendees prepared with ear plugs. Several of Jack's family members weaved in and out of the crowd, while others bragged about their distant lineage to the frontman. Punk rocker Dan Sartain of Birmingham, Ala., was the opening act, but the audience didn't start stirring until the aforementioned Ashley MacIsaac took the stage sporting a goatee and mohawk and wearing ripped jeans and a black pinstriped jacket.

MacIsaac wowed the crowd with his mad fiddling skills, although his singing chops weren't nearly as impressive when he broke into lyrics from his new album, Pride. But he got the room clapping and stomping to the beat, inciting loud cheers when he invited Buddy MacMaster up on stage.

"It's quite a treat," MacIsaac said of performing with the 82-year-old fiddler from Judique. "The only thing as good as lobster is Buddy MacMaster."

The audience answered MacMaster's instrumental mastery with explosive applause and a standing ovation. The crowd stayed on their feet for the rest of the night — an unforgettable two-and-a-half-hour show courtesy of the night's true stars. They didn't play a secret acoustic set earlier in the day, but Jack and Meg made up for it by playing more than 30 songs — including many of their biggest hits, tunes from this year's Icky Thump and several rarely played tracks — for an enthralled audience.

Jack worked up a sweat as he moved from electric to acoustic guitar to piano, and Meg swung her hair wildly as she worked her magic with drum sticks. He dressed head-to-toe in red; she wore a white T-shirt, black pants and a red scarf around her neck. Jack and Meg played off each other's energy and often locked eyes, as he bopped his head and she smiled coyly. They rarely allowed silence between songs, except to thank the family, friends and crew members who've supported The White Stripes over the past decade.

The dynamic duo also seem pretty good at branding. They registered an official tartan in their colour triad especially for this show, selling kilts for $180, handmade pins for $25 and traditional Balmoral hats for $40. There were countless highlights throughout the concert, which included "Apple Blossom," "Fell In Love With A Girl" and a cover of Dolly Parton's "Jolene" during the main set.

The lengthy encore featured Meg taking the mic for "In The Cold, Cold Night," a shout out to Nova Scotia women in "Lord, Send Me An Angel" and the infectious "We're Going To Be Friends."

"Alright, enough fooling around," Jack declared before strumming into "Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground" and a rousing rendition of the crowd-pleasing single "Seven Nation Army."

Kent Senecal, 41, and partner Mike Doyle, 33, randomly entered a Savoy Theatre contest and were the lucky winners of VIP treatment and two tickets to the sold-out event.

"It was fantastic. I think it's the best rock show I've ever seen in Cape Breton," Seneal said, although he would have liked to have seen MacIsaac perform with Jack and Meg.

"I thought Ashley was amazing and I thought The White Stripes were awesome," Doyle agreed. "It was the best concert I've ever seen. I just loved it."

Savoy spokeswoman Katherine MacDonald said the community was ecstatic to host the band for the anniversary show, even if the sound isn't quite what the town's used to hearing.

"The excitement around the theatre today — you could almost see the energy outside," she said, adding staffers painted white stripes in the green room out of appreciation for the band.

Just before Jack picked up a Cape Breton flag and Meg waved a Nova Scotia flag to the sounds of pipes and drums, they played one last upbeat song: "De Ballit Of Boll Weevil."

"He's looking for a home, he's looking for a home," Jack sang, as old and new fans alike danced in the aisles and downed their last foamy beer from plastic cups. Revellers from the second-floor balcony waved signs with slogans such as "Cape Breton loves The White Stripes." It looks like The White Stripes may have found the home they're looking for.