YELLOWKNIFE - For months, rumours and speculation swirled across the territory about who - if anyone - would perform as the opening act for the White Stripes.

Meg White of the White Stripes holds the beat during the band's show in Yellowknife June 26 on its run to perform in every province and territory of Canada.- Adam Johnson/NNSL photo

When word came to Behchoko's Jesse James Gon that his band Diga was getting the nod, it put a bit of a crimp in his plans - though the most welcome one imaginable.

"The White Stripes thing was worth the wait, whether we got it or not," he said.

The "wait" is the delay in Gon's plan to move away from the North, taking the next step in his music career.

He said he didn't mind putting that on hold for now, as this was a chance to be a part of something special.

The world-renowned White Stripes declared their intention to visit every province and territory in Canada on their latest tour in May, and made good on it, booking shows in Whitehorse, Yellowknife and Iqaluit, as well as coast-to-coast shows down south.

More than your average bar band or far-travelling nostalgia act, the Detroit rock duo is a commercial juggernaut, with millions of records sold, sold-out concerts on several continents and an international number one single in rotation.

"I love their concept of going across the territories," Gon said. "It's opening the doors for future bands to do that."

"I am very grateful."

That said, Diga (which includes drummer Walter Girrior and bassist Mike Bryant) rose to the occasion, delivering a bruising set of original tunes off its new album, Forest Fire, which was released in April.

The show did its best to stand up to the Stripes, who delivered a high-energy and high-volume set to an eager sold-out crowd of 2,300, ending with sweaty fans screaming as guitarist Jack White brought a monstrous NWT flag onstage.

With the show behind them, another welcome crimp has arrived; the North's largest music festival.

"I figured it was only a couple of weeks until Folk on the Rocks anyways," he said, so the North will get to hang onto him for a but longer.

Not that it will ever really lose him, of course.

"I'll be back all the time," he said."This is my home."