Garage rock was in full effect on Tuesday (9/23) as the White Stripes tore through a massive set at the Greek Theatre during the second night of a three-night stand at the Los Angeles venue.

Showing no shortness of energy or power, Jack and Meg White dazed a frenzied audience with songs as powerful as they are simple, and covers that were anything but ordinary.

Opening with the hyper "Black Math," off this year's critically adored "Elephant," the White Stripes could do no wrong. Indeed, the audience was on its feet as soon as the pair's silhouettes floated across the darkened stage's red backdrop. And the doting crowd was on its heels until the duo closed with a cover version of opening act the Soledad Brothers [ tickets ]' "Goin' Back to Memphis."

In between, Jack White's guitar roared to the steady, throbbing pulse metered out by drummer Meg White, whom he still refers to as his "big sister." The Detroit garage rockers kicked out the jams on fan favorites like "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground," "Hotel Yorba" and "You're Pretty Good Looking (For a Girl)." Besides his center microphone, Jack White relied on two extra microphones at either end of the stage, giving him the freedom to let his undulating knees take him where they may. Five songs into the set, White knocked over his synthesizer as he screamed into mic No. 3.

The White Stripes [ tickets ] have always been known for their deft choices of cover songs, and this night was no different. Playing "Death Letter," from Mississippi blues-maven Son House, White showed off some serious slide-guitar chops, and Bob Dylan's "Lovesick" sounded as if The White Stripes had written the song themselves. Even Marlene Dietrich's campy "Look Me Over Closely," with Jack White delivering lyrics in his kookiest of voices, sounded easy and comfortable in the band's expert hands.

With "Seven Nation Army," The White Stripes have managed to compress all their greatest assets into one perfect 4-minute rock song: a killer riff, smart lyrics, and an impossibly intense vibe. They closed their set with that song and returned moments later with "Little Room," "Let's Build a Home," and the aforementioned "Going Back to Memphis."

Openers the Yeah Yeah Yeahs [ tickets ] did more for the eyes than the ears, as singer Karen O, who must be the offspring of Mick Jagger and Chrissie Hynde, writhed and buckled across the stage throughout the band's performance. Backed by guitarist Nicolas Zinner and drummer Brian Chase, Karen O shrieked, wailed and moaned through a selection of songs off the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' debut "Fever to Tell." At least it was entertaining.

Earlier, Toledo, OH's Soledad Brothers, comrades of Jack White, offered their own competent version of garage punk, climaxing with guitarist Johnny Wirick demolishing his six-string on the stage floor.

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