Jack White blazed into Austin like a comet for Mohawk pop-up show ahead of his world tour

I saw a flaming blue comet fall out of the sky over Austin two days ago, and seeing Jack White’s performance last night rivaled that.

The White Stripes’ former frontman kicked off his No Name World Tour with a series of surprise pop-up shows, the first one happened last night at a sold-out Mohawk. White will be playing San Antonio’s Paper Tiger tonight and Mexico City on Sunday before his first official date in Hong Kong.

Austin’s Die Spitz opened the show, but didn’t fit the glove for the audience, who took a bit to warm up to the young quartet. The mostly Millennial demographic was not in the mood to mosh or jump, perhaps due to achy knees and work in the morning. The audience's energy did not match that of the Spitz's younger fanbase, and the two young girls who attempted crowd surfing were met with folks unenthusiastic about keeping them in the air. This was no doubt a hallmark experience for this infancy band, but it felt like the Power Puff Girls opening for Slayer.

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Nevertheless, when someone like Jack White gets on stage, all you can do is watch in awe. That’s exactly what everyone did.

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The crowd stood transfixed on his pure guitar mastery throughout this 73-minute set. Clad in black trousers and a black long-sleeved thermal, his raven-colored bobbed hair stood out against his skin, which was as pale as a ghost. Black nail polish lined his hands decorated with silver rings, and a chrome guitar slide rode his pinky finger. Even the towel he used to wipe his sweat mid-set was black.

All that to say, there’s no gray area with this guy, only black and white. Every single song, from the Flamin’ Groovies opening cover to the Raconteurs and the White Stripes throwbacks, hit like an industrial piercing. He manhandled his guitars like a crime. Nasty, revolting stuff.

Only the best guitarists can make their guitar talk, and White was having entire call-and-response conversations with his instrument on stage. With every command the singer crooned into the mic, his guitar wailed right back. One could actually understand what his guitar was saying and the emotion behind every annunciation. That's the power that this bonafide rockstar wields.

2018 review:Jack White shreds — his guitar and his songs — in show that’s basically all over the place

Beyond his ultra-precise shredding, his clear-pitched voice cut through the crowd like a razor. Songs from his new album “No Name” (2024) packed the ferocious punch that made him stand out in the early-2000s. The Detroit-born musician continuously infuses blues into his rock originals, with “Old Scratch Blues” and “It’s Rough On Rats (If You’re Asking),” eliciting synchronized head pounding from the packed venue.

White closed the set by lining up with his touring band for a final bow to the roaring crowd. He smirked and bowed his head in admiration, thanking the crowd for the shared experience. I believe that incandescent comet over Austin was an astronomical harbinger, preluding the guitar god soon to be in our midst. In fact, I can almost remember a pale white figure riding in on its blazing tail.