Brace yourself. Tonight, one-time underground act The White Stripes will perform (gasp) at Madison Square Garden. The White Stripes will officially join the ranks of Billy Joel, The Police and many other larger-than-life performers that have come before. The venue choice for tonight’s show has taken many by surprise. Mainly because— who knew that there were so many people who liked the White Stripes? Yes, it seems that the word is out and their previously small, cult following will have to fraternize with the masses to see them play.

The White Stripes’ summer tour began in Canada and the band has returned to the United States to play performances in New York and Boston. The tour supports their latest album "Icky Thump", which was released on June 19th.

The White Stripes may have seemed slightly out of the picture in 2006, when the band was put on pause while Jack White toured with the Raconteurs. White's noticeable delight at playing with his new gig (imagine the more diverse wardrobe options!) caused many to believe that The White Stripes would be history. But Icky Thump turned out to be a complete resurrection for the band. It gets back to the elements that put people in a craze over the White Stripes' garage-rock revival in the first place.

Let’s hope that tonight, the duo can dismiss the indie disdain, and prove that even gargantuan concert venues don’t take them too far away from where they started.

Photo by AJ Fischler via Flickr