Detroit, MI

Jack White gets loud but intimate in his first-ever Saint Andrew’s Hall show

Published

8 months ago

August 6, 2024

Jack White gets loud but intimate in his first-ever Saint Andrew’s Hall show

A globetrotting Jack White made a hometown pit stop Monday night — and refueled with a blast of Detroit rock energy.

Inside a packed Saint Andrew’s Hall, playing for 1,000 in a show that was announced just last week, White was joined by drummer Patrick Keeler (the Raconteurs), keyboardist Bobby Emmett (the Sights) and longtime friend-bassist Dominic Davis for a raw and special homecoming visit.

Aside from the occasional private gigs he has staged at his Third Man Records store in the Cass Corridor, it was the most intimate Detroit show the ex-White Stripe has performed in years. For the lucky fans on hand — who had quickly snatched up what abruptly became one of the summer’s hottest concert tickets — it was a chance to catch the usual guitar heroics and rock abandon up close and in the face.

“Man, I’ve seen so many shows in this room, but I’ve never really played here,” White said early on.

It was all in the service of “No Name,” White’s sixth and latest solo album, which provided about a third of Monday’s set list alongside music from the White Stripes, Raconteurs and past solo efforts. The album’s summer mini-tour had White and the band in South Korea over the weekend and off to Scandinavia this week. Detroit sat somewhere in the middle of that 10,600-mile trip.

The no-frills Saint Andrew’s visit was in keeping with the organic rollout of the new record, which was surreptitiously released in July when unidentified vinyl copies were slipped into the bags of customers at his Third Man shops in Detroit, Nashville and London. “No Name” got its official digital and physical release two weeks later.

Jack White salutes his 93-year-old mom from onstage in Detroit

Detroit-born rocker Jack White greeted his mother, Teresa Gillis, during his Monday night concert in downtown Detroit.

Friends and family in the Saint Andrew’s balcony Monday included White’s 93-year-old mom, Teresa Gillis, who got an affectionate reception from the crowd when he pointed her out from the stage.

And White drew knowing laughs when he introduced the Stripes chestnut “Hotel Yorba” by referring to his 2022 concert at the Masonic Temple Theatre, which included an onstage proposal and wedding with Olivia Jean.

“I’ve gotta be careful when I play this song because last time in Detroit I ended up getting married it after it,” he said.

The new “Old Scratch Blues” kicked things off with plenty of room for White’s improv guitar jams, followed by the warm groove of “That’s How I’m Feeling,” with an audience call-and-response that showed fans were well-acquainted with the latest songs.

“That’s my town right there!” White said.

“Archbishop Harold Holmes” and “What’s the Rumpus?” made for a playful pairing of new material late in the regular set, while “It’s Rough on Rats (If You’re Asking)” demonstrated that “No Name” just might be White’s most cohesive, distinct collection of riffs since he embarked on a solo career.

There was a loose, unfettered vibe to the evening, and White appeared to be calling audibles to his bandmates throughout.

“Love Interruption” launched a darker section that had a bare-knuckle cover of the Stooges’ “I Wanna Be Your Dog” sandwiched by the White Stripes’ old Son House tribute “Cannon” for a one-two shot of Michigan menace. (Another local nod would come later, when White unearthed “Keep on Trash” by the late, great Detroit band the Go, with whom he’d done a brief tenure in the late ’90s.)

A reliably hot and gnarled “Ball and Biscuit” closed the regular set, before an encore that featured a pair of Raconteurs numbers (“Steady, as She Goes” and a stellar “Broken Boy Soldier”) and a slide-guitar frenzy to cap the night: The new “Underground” segued smartly into “Seven Nation Army” to send off the evening with a moment of familiar, chant-along Detroit communion.

Contact Detroit Free Press music writer Brian McCollum: 313-223-4450 or bmccollum@freepress.com.

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Detroit, MI

No. 9: Savoy’s creative approach to Southern and Creole dishes makes it a soulful standout

Published

5 hours ago

March 31, 2025

Press Room

No. 9: Savoy’s creative approach to Southern and Creole dishes makes it a soulful standout

Savoy in Detroit takes the No. 9 spot on the 2025 Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Top 10 New Restaurants & Dining Experiences list for its whimsical approach to Southern and Creole offerings.

For many years, the east side of Detroit’s culinary scene has been driven by fast food and fast-casual restaurants. When it opened last summer, Savoy offered an upscale dining experience for the Cornerstone Village neighborhood. Led by chef Melba Dearing, the restaurant delivers an amalgam of Southern dishes and Creole flavors, plus a few fun riffs in between.

A creative starter elevates a classic carnival food. Dearing dunks two meaty lobster tails into a sweet cornbread batter and deep fries the tails until they’re crispy and golden brown for a surf take on the corndog. The crustacean’s hard, peach-toned shell gets pierced with a wood skewer.

Two thick slabs of meatloaf are made even heartier with crunchy onion straws, a generous helping of dense garlic mashed potatoes and a spicy Tennessee pepper gravy poured over top. With its navy and orange décor, live jazz performances and a spirited waitstaff, the Savoy has a refreshingly uplifting air.

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Savoy menu highlights

Nola’s Fish and Grits brings a twist to a Southern staple. Fried catfish filets are served with sticky grits cakes that have been molded into triangular wedges and deep fried. The dish is topped with a creamy Cajun sauce chock-full of chopped crawfish.

Savoy address

17131 E. Warren Ave., Detroit. 313-469-7558; savoydetroit.com.

Save the Date: On Tuesday, June 24, Savoy, the Detroit Free Press and Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers will host a Top 10 Takeover dinner. Stay tuned for ticket information at Freep.com.

For a chance to win five $100 gift cards to dine at restaurants on the 2025 Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Top 10 New Restaurants & Dining Experiences list, visit chevydetroit.com/community/giveaways/roy25.

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Detroit, MI

35K Without Power In Detroit Area After Severe Storms

Published

16 hours ago

March 30, 2025

Press Room

35K Without Power In Detroit Area After Severe Storms

METRO DETROIT — More than 35,000 were without power Sunday night after severe storms rolled through the area, according to DTE Energy.

The utility’s outage map showed the outages scattered across the region with the highest concentrations in western Oakland County, Ann Arbor and southern Wayne County.

Officials said DTE crews are working hard to quickly restore power to impacted customers.

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Detroit, MI

Detroit Tigers still learning who they are. Especially the newest one, Manuel Margot

Published

1 day ago

March 30, 2025

Press Room

Detroit Tigers still learning who they are. Especially the newest one, Manuel Margot

Veteran outfielder Manuel Margot signed with the Detroit Tigers on their final day in Florida.
He went 3-for-5 in the two games he played against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Tigers’ opening series.

LOS ANGELES — Manuel Margot still doesn’t know all of his teammate’s names on the Detroit Tigers.

Still doesn’t know all the coaches and support staff.

And he doesn’t even have a Tigers bat bag.

His old Milwaukee Brewers bag was on a cart outside the clubhouse, stacked with all the Tigers ones.

Sunday marks Margot’s time on the Tigers at a week — he signed with the Tigers on their last day of Grapefruit League play in Florida — but he has already made a strong first impression.

“I feel good,” he said Saturday night after the Los Angeles Dodgers finished a three-game sweep of the Tigers with a 7-3 victory Saturday night.

Margot has been one of the bright spots in a Tigers offense that struggled to produce in clutch moments against the defending World Series champions. Margot played in two games in this series, going 3-for-5, while knocking in a pair of runs.

“Try to see the ball and swing at strikes,” he said. “I try not to chase.”

OK, so he might not know everybody, but he’s already speaking the Tigers’ language.

Unfortunately, here’s the harsh truth about this three-game series: Far too many of his teammates were not able to follow his lead.

The good news: The Tigers put runners in scoring position 32 times against the Dodgers, setting up a ridiculous number of opportunities to do something amazing against the team with five wins already this season.

The bad news: The Tigers came through in the clutch just four times. Ugh. Completely unacceptable.

“When you look back, we could have won some games because of how many opportunities we gave ourselves,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “So you want to look at it positively? Keep giving yourself as many punches as you can. If you want to be frustrated, look at the results. Because it wasn’t great with how it ended, how those at-bats ended.”

Here’s the other good news: Hinch doesn’t see any panic in his team.

But he is also realistic about what his team needs.

“We’re going to need the big hit obviously,” he said. “We’re not doing anything wrong. We’re not pressing. We’re not worked up about it. But it’s our reality.”

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Strange days indeed

In some ways, this series felt historic. It was the first time in franchise history the Tigers opened the season against the Dodgers, on a weekend they celebrated their World Series championship — gee, thanks MLB.

And it was the first time the Tigers have opened their season on the West Coast in 25 years.

Also, lost in the moment was how so many Tigers have never experienced this before. This was the first time that six Tigers have been on an Opening Day roster: right-handers Beau Brieske, Brenan Hanifee and Jackson Jobe; left-hander pitcher Brant Hurter; infielder Trey Sweeney; and catcher Dillon Dingler.

So, all of this is still so new to them. Just being part of this.

But there were some high marks.

Consider Spencer Torkelson.

On Opening Day, he reached base safely in all five plate appearances, with a solo home run and four walks. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Torkelson became the seventh player in Tigers history to walk four times and homer in the same game. (The others? J.D. Martinez, Roy Cullenbine, Jason Thompson, Rob Deer, Travis Fryman and Cecil Fielder.)

Torkelson’s four walks tied for the most by any player on Opening Day in American League history — that dates back to 1901.

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And when presented with Hinch’s good news/bad news approach to putting so many runners in scoring position, Torkelson found the positive side.

“I think that’s pretty encouraging, especially against this caliber of a team,” he said. “There’s not a single hole in their lineup. There’s not a single arm in the ‘pen or starting pitcher that you can take for granted. They’re a really good team. We had opportunities and, couple pitches every night going our way, we’re winning this series. So that’s encouraging.”

So, that’s the state of the Tigers after the first series.

Encouraging signs.

Disappointing results.

“But still,” Torkelson said, “it sucks to get swept.”

Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on X @seideljeff.

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