Entertainment

A ‘THUMP’-SHAKING CLASSIC

WITH respect to the greats of classic rock – from long-dead Jimi to AC/DC’s Angus Young and Led Zepplin’s Jimmy Page – rock guitar revivalist Jack White and his drummer ex Meg White laid down a blistering show Tuesday at the Fillmore.

The intimate club showcase, which celebrated the White Stripes’ well-received, just-released CD, “Icky Thump,” was a nonstop assault of blues-infused rock that combined Jack’s raw guitar crunch and Meg’s less-is-more beats.

The opening trio of songs at this show – “When I Hear My Name,” “Dead Leaves” and “Icky Thump” – were as forceful as the night’s showstopper, “Blackjack Davy,” and the encore favorite, “I Don’t Know What To Do With Myself.”

By the time the duo was totally immersed in its set, with pounding renditions of “My Doorbell,” “I’m Slowly Turning Into You” and an abbreviated yet excellent cover of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene,” they owned the club. Jack would start to play a distorted blues-rock riff, and you could feel the fans trying to get closer. Meg would strike the drums with childlike simplicity, and heads would bang in time as if John Bonham were alive and backing Jack.

Who knows whether they’ll be able to establish that same, essential rapport with an audience 20 times as large when the White Stripes make their Madison Square Garden debut as headliners next month.

But in an intimate setting, at least, the Whites earned their stripes as one of the most commanding acts in contemporary music.

dan.aquilante@nypost.com