Surprise! Jack White plays Cactus Club and The Rave this weekend

Fresh from a scheduled show at the High Noon Saloon in Madison and a nightcap at The Vanguard, Jack White is staying in Milwaukee for a few nights.

For the most part, Jack White doesn't take a conventional approach. So it was a real surprise when he announced earlier this summer that he couldn't announce a new tour because it was already underway.

“A lot of people ask when we're going to announce 'tour dates'. Well, we don't know what to tell you, but the tour started at the Legion a few weeks ago,” he wrote on Instagram on August 13, referencing a show at the American Legion Post 82 in Nashville. Game on.

White began touring small clubs across the country to promote his new album, “No Name,” which was also a surprise release and was distributed to fans at his Third Man Records store in Nashville as well as in London and Detroit before it went to streaming services. So far, most shows have been announced in groups of two or three, and his latest announcement now includes Milwaukee's Cactus Club, where he will play Friday night and Saturday at The Rave.

To purchase tickets for any of the shows, you must register for a code through the Laylo ticket service.

In case you didn't know, White has a special connection to the Bay View Club. The White Stripes' first show outside of their home state of Michigan came in 1999, when they opened for The Mistreaters at their record release show. This led to a friendship with Chris Schulist of The Vanguard, WMSE and most recently Wiggle Room, and there was an infamous vinyl “flyer” for the show designed by Eric Von Munz that hangs in the club to this day. So it makes sense that White would want to return to the club for a special show.

If you can't make it to Friday night's show or Saturday's gig at The Rave, there's still plenty of great live music in Milwaukee this weekend. Be sure to check out OnMilwaukee's monthly music guide to see who else is hitting Milwaukee's stages.