Icky Whatty?: An Ode to the White Stripes

My brother hates them.

My cousin loves them.

They were media darlings with the release of "Elephant" in 2003.

It was too much for me to take in. White Stripes this. White Stripes that. Were they really married? Are they brother and sister? Don't they have the same last name?

Questions abounded; I checked outted. (That was supposed to rhyme.)

I needed time...time to process. When there's too much hype, I instantly become suspicious, pessimistic, impossible to break through. Loretta made me less skeptical, but my feelings remained uncertain. But it finally happened..."Just give them a chance," she said. "I'll send you a mix CD." Catchy hooks came out of Joseph's room...something about a 7 Nation Army. Ok, I thought. Just like Kevin McAllister, I'll give this one a whirl. I put the mix CD into my retro 50's kitchen CD player and heard Dolly's words hit my ears...but it came from guttural, scruffy, masculine chords. What was this? My feet tapping; chopping lettuce in time to the beats; Martin sticking his head around the corner to find out what racket was playing this time.

Then came my first purchase and confession: "Cousin," I said, "I can't stop playing 'Elephant.' It's been in my car for three months straight, and I can't stop listening. But I'm afraid that the other ones won't be as good." Gleeful laughter came through the cellular telephone as Cousin realized she had turned another...and gotten another one up on lil Andy. Copies of the others were quickly sent my way.

Then came Nashville.

Cousin called Wednesday--tickets on sale Thursday--three lovely ladies before them on Friday. In a small crowd of almost 500, we were THREE. I'd never heard anything like it. Only Eddie & the Boys can rival (and ultimately surpass) the power and purity that can pour forth from this dynamic duo's live efforts. Wishing against reason for Loretty to come on. In the end, the darling daughter of a coal miner didn't show, but homage was paid with "Rated X."

And I left happy.