Jack White Rocks With Antiquiet In Nashville

Fortune smiled brightly on Antiquiet last week as I made my way to Nashville for an exclusive tour of Third Man Records by Jack White, founder and centerpiece of the fledgeling record label. The tour was part of a most-expenses-paid trip that six lucky Dead Weather fans won through a Golden Ticket contest put on by TMR and Warner Bros. (A few radio winners were on hand as well).

The Third Man Records headquarters serves many purposes: record store, record label, one-stop production house, rehearsal space, photo studio, darkroom, production office and distribution center. Their unique setup allows an artist to be recorded and photographed in one day and have records actually in-store within weeks, contributing to a spontaneous aesthetic and cutting out even the most remote debate on pre-release leaks.

I’ll leave out the various personal stories of suspicious behavior in high-end hotel public restrooms, Yuengling indulgence on high and the world’s greatest home-cookin’ joint (Arnold’s… seriously), for the simple fact that this is bound to be long enough without narrative side-trips.

On Thursday morning, Mr. Jack White met us in the lobby of the record store (which is stacked with jaw-dropping Third Man goods, by the way), megaphone in one hand, a burning clove in the other and a mischievous grin on his face. Alternating between deafening blasts of megaphone Jack and normal-voice Jack, we were led down the office hallway and through a set of doors that opened to a massive wall covered in vintage White Stripes, Raconteurs and Dead Weather posters. Jack pointed to one Stripes poster in particular, mentioning that he had a couple sitting in his closet when he realized they were worth several thousand dollars each. So why not stick one to a wall and stencil all over it? “Needless to say, we won’t be redecorating here for a while.”

No cameras or video were allowed, and much as I’d love to paint the picture for all you candycane children, a part of me is thankful that Third Man has taken steps to retain some level of mystery and sanctity in today’s world of constant, disposable all-access coverage.

We were led through a full-scale vintage hospital kitchen, where Jack offered his tour group some freshly-baked brownies and cookies, as well as a glass-bottle coke from the fridge. As we passed the Third Man offices (which stood three steps away from a separate office facade that read “John Gillis Family Dentistry”), Jack pointed out that the White Stripes music we’d been hearing since setting foot in the building was actually the yet-unreleased soundtrack to the upcoming WS documentary Under Great White Northern Lights. They were putting the finishing touches on the production end, he explained. By the sound of what we heard, it’s going to be fantastic.

We passed the photo booth Dead Weather fans will recognize from the band’s Horehound promo shots, and after leading us under a masterfully designed awning with meticulous replicas of Third Man cornerstone albums and explaining the coded temperature controls on the vinyl vaults, Jack casually opened a closet door. Behind it was LJ, better known as “Little” Jack Lawrence of The Raconteurs, ripping it on a stand-up bass with a deadpan stare.

LJ’s closet-jam moment was unforgettably hilarious, but we didn’t have time to dwell once we turned the corner and passed the Dead Weather’s super-tiny rehearsal stage (which Jack hopes to turn into a weekend venue of sorts) – suddenly we found ourselves in an almost entirely blue room. Third Man has begun releasing a run of Blue Series records, where different musicians have their picture taken behind the blue staging area. Jack explained that we would each be taking pictures and making a record with him – not actual music on a record, mind you, but one with our picture on an album cover, and our name on the sleeve and label. Pretty badass, yes.

Who knows if Jack was serious when he told us stories of underground tunnels and secret corridors at Third Man? I’m leaning towards no, but the place is plenty cool without the trap-door amenities of a medieval castle.

We parted ways with Jack, and were then herded into vans and taken on a tour of United Record Pressing just up the street, where every Third Man release is printed and pressed. There’s a great deal of history to the company and the building, which served as a safehouse motel of sorts for black musicians traveling through town in the heavily-segregated ’50s and ’60s.

Ben Blackwell, founder of Detroit’s Cass Records, drummer for The Dirtbombs, nephew of Jack White and Third Man employee of all trades, led us through the vinyl plant tour, narrating the process as we went. Antiquiet’s plus one contest winner Sami, from the excellent Rock It Out! Blog, got his voyeurism on and recorded the entire tour – check it out:

It’s worth mentioning that the new Phish album, the new AC/DC rarities record and an unlabeled new Pearl Jam single were all in various stages of production at United.

At the end of our journey, each contest winner received a Third Man goodie bag full of TMR 7″ vinyl records, stickers and a t-shirt, as well as the first prints of the new Dead Weather single I Cut Like A Buffalo. It was a very cool gesture to top an incredible experience for any fan of Jack White’s world. The Third Man staff were as accommodating as anyone could ever hope for, and I’m sure I speak for everyone when I say we appreciated the hell out of their hospitality.

One recurring point resonated strongly throughout the tour: Third Man has barely settled into its new home, and in only second gear it’s already setting a remarkable pace and style all its own. The future looks bright on that dusty Nashville road, and we’re thankful to have been a part of it, even for just one day.