Fear them. All photos by Rebecca Smeyne.

​Jack White plays drums in the Dead Weather, but that didn't stop the White Stripes frontman from making his way to the microphone at some point during his band's set in Prospect Park last night and asking: "You probably read Brooklyn Vegan too, right?" He went on to make all the non-vegans in the audience an offer: "Let's kill a cow together!" Local bonafides thus established, White, his dynamic partner, Alison Mosshart, and the rest of the esteemed power quartet blitzed the crowd with the gothy, witchy blues for which the Dead Weather are so adored. They wore all black, of course. Intrepid photographer Rebecca Smeyne was there; her photos of the action are below.

More >>

Next week (Thursday, July 16, to be exact) the Dead Weather, featuring Mr. White on drums, Kills growler Alison Mosshart out front, and two less famous dudes on guitar/bass, invade Terminal 5 with New Jersey wunderkinds the Screaming Females for a night of faux-badass strutting and snarling and whatnot. Prepare yourself by enjoying this one-day-only free stream of the DW's debut, Horehound (out officially Tuesday), a fine compendium of greasy garage-rock that definitely sounds as though the drummer is the most famous person in the band. "Treat Me Like Your Mother" is a standout and I haven't even gotten to it yet.

The Dead Weather
Bowery Ballroom
Tuesday, April 14

I am pleased to report that Jack White can actually play the drums. Nothing terribly flashy about his style -- a lot of splashy ride-cymbal action, alongside the occasional muscular but economic fill -- but he doesn't look or sound ridiculous back there. (He's no Meg, but who is, after all?) The Dead Weather, as you may have heard, is his third and latest sleazy-garage-rock franchise, his CSI: New York, if you will. This was their full-show debut. They wore matching black leather jackets for the occasion.

More >>