“This is my favorite place to play in the world.”
A more-fitting sentiment we cannot conjure and is the perfect stage banter quote from Jack White to introduce the triple-LP live recording culling the best of the best from the Raconteurs recent three night stand at the legendary Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma from October 2019.
As the Raconteurs are allegedly the first band to ever sell out three consecutive shows at Cain’s Ballroom, it was only fitting to mark the occasion by recording each night, culling only the best of each of those performances, and fusing them together for a career-spanning, masterwork of an album.
Highlighting recent entries in their catalog like the infectious “Help Me Stranger” and the whirling “Bored and Razed” while paying deference to momentous sing-alongs like “Carolina Drama” and “Steady, As She Goes” to absolutely mind-bending, room-levitating blues expression via “Blue Veins” and even then you’re only just scratching the surface.
Captured at the pinnacle of the band’s touring behind their chart topping album Help Us Stranger, the electrifying live performances place a raw, unbound energy behind the entire breadth of the band’s catalog, including gems from their 2008 LP Consolers of the Lonely and their 2006 debut Broken Boy Soldiers.
Housed in a magnificent tri-fold jacket and appropriating the Matthew Jacobson-designed artwork which highlights the Art Deco frieze of the Tulsa Fire Alarm building (which was used for the three Cain’s concert posters) and pressed on vibrant copper, green and black colored vinyl…the whole shebang is truly something to behold.
The fitting companion piece to this explosive 3xLP is the intimate performance of Raconteurs’ dual frontmen Brendan Benson and Jack White performing as a duo on July 9th 2019.
Shot at Third Man Records Cass Corridor storefront on White’s 44th birthday, the jam-packed room still only fitting 300 attendees, Brendan and Jack laid out sparse, explorative takes on not only Raconteurs songs, but other classics from their expansive back catalogs. Performances of Raconteurs faves like “Only Child” and “Now That You’re Gone” sound unlike any other version before or since, while the vibe propelling songs like the White Stripes “Sugar Never Tasted So Good” or Benson’s “Metarie” are reminiscent of times back when these two guys would just goof around in Detroit dive bars while a handful of uninterested patrons pretended to not be bothered by their racket.
About that…as a bonus to the mutli-camera, HD, Blu-Ray, 4k, 16-channel audio with super crystal clear capture of the above-mentioned performance, it felt fitting to tack on the ultra lo-fi, camcorder and condenser microphone capture of the first-ever performance of Jack White and Brendan Benson together. Playing for free at the Garden Bowl Lounge in Detroit on March 14th, 1999, the gig shows the two as if without a care in the world, having a blast and rolling through songs of which only TWO had been released by that point. An intimate, charming artifact of a simpler time.
And for the record, Pink Floyd’s “Fearless” was performed at BOTH of these shows, twenty years apart but no less magnificent.
For something a little bit different, we are offering a MYSTERY Raconteurs flexi-disc as our bonus item in this package. Let the speculation begin!
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PLEASE NOTE: Vault #43 ships March 2020
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The Raconteurs Live at Cain’s Ballroom 3xLP setlist includes…
Bored and Razed
Blue Veins
Consoler of the Lonely
Help Me Stranger
Only Child
Sunday Driver
Now That You’re Gone
Somedays (I Don’t Feel Like Trying)
Broken Boy Soldier
Carolina Drama
Thoughts and Prayers
Steady, As She Goes
and more!
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Brendan Benson and Jack White Live at Third Man Records Cass Corridor July 9th, 2019 setlist:
Fearless (Pink Floyd)
Sugar Never Tasted So Good (The White Stripes)
Metarie (Brendan Benson)
Only Child (The Raconteurs)
Lucille (Little Richard)
Love Interruption (Jack White)
Now That You’re Gone (The Raconteurs)
Shine The Light on Me (The Raconteurs)
As Ugly As I Seem (The White Stripes)
Together (The Raconteurs)
We’re Going to Be Friends (The White Stripes)
Help Me Stranger (The Raconteurs)
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Brendan Benson and Jack White Live at the Garden Bowl Lounge March 14, 1999 setlist:
I Fought Piranhas (The White Stripes)
Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground (The White Stripes)
Crosseyed (Brendan Benson)
Who’s to Say (Blanche)
You’ve Got Her In Your Pocket (The White Stripes)
The Same Boy You’ve Always Known (The White Stripes)
Do (The White Stripes)
Good to Me (Brendan Benson)
Sugar Never Tasted So Good (The White Stripes)
Fearless (Pink Floyd)
Suzy Lee (The White Stripes)
Candy Cane Children (The White Stripes)
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The Raconteurs MYSTERY FLEXI-DISC tracklist:
NICE TRY SUCKERS, WE AIN’T FALLING FOR THAT
It’s a major, major plus for you guys to offer a 1080p Blu-ray over DVD. Far superior sound quality, as well as the obvious picture upgrade (Next time offer 4k UHD Blu-ray. Just kidding!) Folks who don’t have a Blu-ray player need to get with it – they’re infinitely better than streaming services!
Oh my!!!! I’ve never been this excited for a vault delivery!! Honestly!! one of the best concerts I have ever seen!! I saw the in Cleveland and I consider my self Blessed to have seen such a magnificent performance!! Ugh I wish I didn’t log on and see this. It ll be a slow painful 4 months waiting for this absolute diamond!!!?
I still haven’t received my #42
At this point, instead of DVD’s I wish TMR would just put everything up to stream, not make their own app (too many of them out already) but get a Netflix deal or something and stop adding stuff like that to the Vault to help keep the prices down. The Vault is more physical stuff for me, so a vinyl record and shirt/hat/ beanie for the winter etc…something like that would be better I think. I would like to see the Vault go to #50 then stop and start a new marketing program. Something more random, not every quarter so they don’t feel rushed to fill orders and stuff with fat. I’ve had ever single one since #18 and about 10 of them are great, the rest are decent and a few were blah…
Who doesn’t love DVDs???
@Kenneth Tanner – That’s a very nice offer. Wish I was closer so I could go. You are going to have a great night.
Was gutted that I couldn’t see the Racs but can’t wait to hear the live album. Also looking forward to seeing Jack’s BD show with Brendan and the Garden Bowl Lounge show from back in the day. Mystery Flexi-Disc – wouldn’t it be something if there were a couple of different versions going out…
And to think I was considering cancelling my subscription due to lack of job – nope, the gym membership can be sacrificed instead!
I have an extra ticket to the Raconteurs Portland show at the Crystal Ballroom Thursday December 5th. I have it on StubHub for the exact price it cost me, $96.02, the lowest listed price at this time. Not sure it is going to sell in time for me to ship the ticket since it’s a print-at-home from Etix.
I would love to sell it to a Vault member, even for a bit less. My wife and I have early entry, but I would be happy to meet before the show. This is entirely on the up and up, as I bought a ticket for my son and he cannot go and neither can my concert-loving pals. Please let me know if you are interested.
I love the DVDs! Keep[’m coming! Thanks Third Man!
Last time they released a DVD people commented they need to release Blu-rays. Now they release a Blu-ray and people comment there should be no movies??? This is a very strange criticism being that if you absolutely just HATE the movie to no end, you could probably sell it for at least 20 bucks on discogs. That’s money in your pocket, guy come on cheer up! Thanks Third Man!