In a performance pulled straight out of Tim Burton’s playbook, Jack White kicked off his segment with an all-female band gathered around a piano. Dressed in full matador attire, he took his guitar and walked across the stage to kick out the jams with a full rock band. His take on “Freedom at 21” imbued some serious rock-and-roll into the otherwise staid show and, perhaps more importantly, easily upstaged the Black Keys, who had just bested White for best rock album.
GRADE: B+