Why Minneapolis-bound Jack White is the best rock act on tour right now

As he heads to Minneapolis for his fourth Twin Cities gig in two years, Jack White has rendered music critics worthless. Really, what’s the point of covering White’s sold-out show Sunday at the Armory? Everyone who’s followed the Detroit rocker in recent years knows the result will be another fawning review. You know the kind. It’ll have some kind of punny “shows his stripes” headline and a synonyms list of “electrifying” words. We’ll name it one of our top shows of 2026 in our year-end best-of lists. And so on. White’s concerts have become that predictably good. Which itself wasn’t entirely predictable. Advertisement During his years fronting the White Stripes, White was dynamic and charismatic on stage, but the band’s live shows weren’t always great. By design, his chemistry with drummer/ex-wife Meg White was playful and intimate, producing mixed results. Expanded image view From the Star Tribune archives: Jack White performed with drummer/ex-wife Meg White at Minneapolis' Orpheum Theatre in 2005. ( BRUCE BISPING ) Since the White Stripes, White hasn’t exactly been rock-solid in the album-making department. Most of his solo records have failed to gain traction and demand repeat listening. The big exception was 2024’s “No Name,” a solo LP that arrived with no notice, no hype, no artwork and, yep, no official name, but it seriously kicked butt and kickstarted this run of, um, electrifying live shows. He just dropped another strong new record, “Frozen Charlotte,” loaded with crunchy rock nuggets and wicked psychedelic-blues joints. But “Charlotte” has little-to-nothing to do with why White once again quickly sold out Sunday’s Armory gig. In an effort to be less predictable in our music coverage this time around, here’s a critical assessment of what drives White’s live shows before the show.