Meg and Jack White of White Stripes perform at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg. (Brian Donogh/Sun Media)

In an age of overprocessed music, publicity machines, image makers and Ashlee Simpson-esque fakery, the White Stripes seem to have struck a chord.

It's not just that they chose to celebrate their 10th anniversary with an extensive -- as in all provinces and territories -- tour of Canada.

It's not just that the music of Jack and Meg White has inspired fanaticism and turned critics' heads. These Detroit rockers -- who these days are usually decked out in red or white with a maple leaf proudly displayed on their stage amplifier -- seem so downright genuine, people seem drawn to them.

"Their stuff is so raw," says Noah Sabourin, music director for Ottawa's Live 88.5.

"They take out all the bells and whistles and it's about the music. There's a soul there."

They are hot tickets in most of the locations on their Canadian tour, which kicked off June 24 in front of 8,000 fans at Deer Lake Park in Burnaby, B.C., and wraps up July 16 in St. John's, N.L.

Many of the shows in between are at venues and in locations most rock stars wouldn't glance at. That includes the Yukon Arts Centre in Whitehorse, the Shorty Brown Multiplex Arena in Yellowknife and the Arctic Winter Games Arena in Iqaluit.

All this on the heels of the release of their latest CD, Icky Thump. Most acts at this juncture would be playing New York and Los Angeles, appearing on Leno and Letterman.

Larry LeBlanc, Canadian bureau chief for Billboard Magazine, says the fact they are even in Canada is mind-boggling.

"You do not go to Canada and go on an extensive tour. If you tried to explain this to a manager, he would say it's career suicide," said LeBlanc.

This tour proves Jack White is nothing if not a shrewd marketer, having cultivated an "of-the-people" credibility most rock stars can only dream of.

"I think this is the smartest group out there right now. I don't think it's hype," LeBlanc said.