Since the announcement that the White Stripes are no more, Jack White has been collaborating with every artist under the sun, pumping out cover after cover. Evidently, he thought he needed to generate even more buzz about his Third Man Records, because he took his act on the road. Jack trucked from Nashville to Austin in a tour bus dubbed Third Man Rolling Records to play a pop-up show at SXSW.
In true rock and roll fashion, the bus parked in a handicap spot and Jack jumped out to open for newly signed Third Man Recording artist Seasick Steve. In front of a crowd of only about a hundred, Jack played two songs: the Stripes’ original “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground” and Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away.” The first half of the Holly song sounds pretty similar to the ’50s original. By the end, though, he ratchets his voice up to the rock levels we’re used to hearing from him. Although the sound quality is pretty low (both in the video and at the venue), the performance is solid enough to overcome the technical barriers. It seems two songs from Jack White can be as powerful as a full set from a lesser artist.
Edit 3/21: Video upgraded.
Jack White – Not Fade Away (Buddy Holly cover)
