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Jan 24, 2018 Jack White By Christopher Roberts

Jack White is releasing a new solo album, Boarding House Reach, on March 23 via Third Man and Columbia. He previously announced a bunch of tour dates and now, according to NME, he has banned fans from using their phones during his concerts. A statement says, “no photos, video or audio recording devices allowed.” Gone are the days when a performer could have a private moment with just his or her audience and not the outside world. Now if an artist performs a new song or interesting cover, badly shot video of the moment usually ends up online. And often half the audience is filming a performance on their phone (or texting friends/updating their status during the show). White aims to turn back the clock to a less technologically interactive time. Fans can bring phones into the venue, but they will have to go in a locked Yondr pouch that you can keep on you and will be unlocked at the end of the show (or in a special designated phone area in the lobby of the venue).

“We think you’ll enjoy looking up from your gadgets for a little while and experience music and our shared love of it IN PERSON,” the statement continues.

“Upon arrival at the venue, all phones and other photo or video-capturing gizmos will be secured in a Yondr pouch that will be unlocked at the end of the show. You keep your pouch-secured phone on you during the show and, if needed, can unlock your phone at any time in a designated Yondr Phone Zone located in the lobby or concourse…

“For those looking to do some social media postings, let us help you with that. Our official tour photographer will be posting photos and videos after the show at jackwhiteiii.com and the new Jack White Live Instagram account @officialjackwhitelive. Repost our photos & videos as much as you want and enjoy a phone-free, 100% human experience.”

Previously White shared two songs from Boarding House Reach: “Connected By Love” (via a video) and “Respect Commander.” The tour dates are below, followed by both the recent songs.

Boarding House Reach was written in a sparse Nashville apartment with few distractions on the same type of basic equipment White had when he was 15, including a four-track recorder. A previous press release promised that “the album explores a remarkable range of sonic terrain—crunching rock ‘n’ roll, electro and hard funk, proto punk, hip hop, gospel blues, and even country —all remapped and born anew to fit White’s matchless vision and sense of restless experimentation.”

White self-produced the album, which was recorded in Nashville at Third Man Studio, at Sear Sound in New York, and at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles. White plays acoustic and electric guitars, drums, organ, and synthesizers on the album. The press release listed an extensive list of other musicians who contributed to the album: “drummer Louis Cato (Beyoncé, Q-Tip, John Legend, Mariah Carey), bassists Charlotte Kemp Muhl (The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger) and NeonPhoenix (Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z), synthesizer players DJ Harrison and Anthony ‘Brew’ Brewster (Fishbone, The Untouchables), keyboardists Neal Evans (Soulive, Talib Kweli, John Scofield) and Quincy McCrary (Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Pitbull), percussionists Bobby Allende (David Byrne, Marc Anthony) and Justin Porée (Ozomatli), and backing vocalists Esther Rose and Ann & Regina McCrary of Nashville’s beloved gospel trio, The McCrary Sisters, as well as longtime collaborators like drummers Daru Jones (Nas, Talib Kweli) and Carla Azar (Autolux, Depeche Mode, Doyle Bramhall II). Singer-songwriter C.W. Stoneking also appears, contributing a stirring spoken word performance to the album’s ‘Abulia and Akrasia.’”

There will be a limited edition vinyl version of the album available via Third Man’s Vault series. The press release described it as such: “The 180-gram, blue and black swirl vinyl edition features exclusive Vault-only cover art which dramatically depicts White’s stylized face and is printed on arresting holographic foil paper in the classic Stoughton tip-on style. The LP is further accompanied by a unique-to-this-package 12” x 24” insert featuring the complete album lyrics. The Boarding House Reach Vault package also includes a two-song demo 7-inch single, offering up embryonic versions of ‘Connected By Love’ and the album track, ‘Why Walk a Dog?’ The former take - billed here under its original title, ‘Infected By Love’ - was recorded entirely by White in the aforementioned Nashville apartment.” You have until January 31 to order the limited edition.

Back in December White shared a video for a new sound collage he was calling “Servings and Portions From My Boarding House Reach.” Clearly it was a teaser for the new album. Pasqual Gutierrez directed the “Connected By Love” video, which features White and various strangers preparing for the end of the world. Both “Connected By Love” and “Respect Commander” are available digitally now and as a 7-inch single and are below again.

Jack White Tour Dates:

April 19: Little Caesars Arena - Detroit, MI
April 20: Eagles Ballroom - Milwaukee, WI
April 21: 20 Monroe - Grand Rapids, MI
April 23: Baxter Arena - Omaha, NE
April 24: Providence Medical Center Amphitheater - Bonner Springs, KS
April 25: Chaifetz Arena - St. Louis, MO
April 27: Bomb Factory - Dallas, TX
April 29: Bomb Factory - Dallas, TX
April 30: Revention Music Center - Houston, TX
May 1: Revention Music Center - Houston, TX
May 2: Austin360 Amphitheater - Austin, TX
May 4 - 6: Shaky Knees Music Festival - Atlanta, GA *
May 25 - 27: Boston Calling Music Festival - Boston, MA *
May 27: Brewery Ommegang - Cooperstown, NY
May 29: The Anthem - Washington, DC
June 1 - 3: Governors Ball Music Festival - New York, NY *
June 4: Express Live! Outdoor Amphitheater - Columbus, OH
June 6: Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica - Cleveland, OH
June 7: Dome Arena - Rochester, NY
June 8: Artpark Mainstage Theater - Lewiston, NY
June 9: Budweiser Stage - Toronto, ON
June 27: London, UK - Hammersmith Apollo
June 28: London, UK - Hammersmith Apollo
July 2: AFAS Live - Amsterdam, NL
July 3: L’Olympia - Paris. FR
July 4: L’Olympia - Paris. FR
August 6: The Armory - Minneapolis, MN
August 8: 1st Bank Center - Broomfield, CO
August 9: SaltAir - Salt Lake City, UT
August 11: Veterans Memorial Coliseum - Portland, OR
August 12: Rogers Arena - Vancouver, BC
August 13: WAMU Theatre - Seattle, WA
August 15: Bill Graham Civic Auditorium - San Francisco, CA
August 19: Santa Barbara Bowl - Santa Barbara, CA
August 21: Viejas Arena - San Diego, CA
August 22: Comerica Theatre - Phoenix, AZ
August 23: The Chelsea @ The Cosmopolitan - Las Vegas, NV

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