The Black Keys
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
City Block/Louisville, KY
Review by Hunter Embry Indiana University Southeast and Photo By Andy Argyrakis
Brimming at near capacity with city hipsters, the blues-rock revolt better known as The Black Keys launched into “Hello, Hello” with front man Dan Auerbach shouting as he approached the mic, strapped to an old school, cream-colored Rickenbacker and clad in a flannelled cowboy’s shirt with boots to match. A crash of symbols and thundering kick from drummer Patrick Carney teamed with a few fuzzed guitar notes, forcing the crowd to near silence. Angels hadn’t taken the stage, but from the facial expressions of all in attendance, it seemed as if Louisville has been saved- at least for the evening.
Auerbach again shook his head erratically, inching his beard-covered face closer to the microphone to scream “Here I am darling and I’ll care for you,” part of the barnburner “Thickfreakness” that may have swerved in the vocal department, but was just as devilishly coarse in delivery as the studio rendition from five years ago. As the evening wore on, The Keys stopped little between songs, leaving just enough time to breathe before rolling into “Girl Is On My Mind.” Blinding lights rolled around the room, the strobes stuttered from side to side and Auerbach jumped up and down, slamming his foot to the stage and slinging sweat onto outstretched hands.
On stage, the beauty of The Black Keys is the raw energy and sincerity displayed in every song. The naked emotion rivals that of Nirvana’s early days as the songs are purposely-imperfect, leaving plenty of room for Auerbach to explore, both sonically and in terms of audience interaction. “You southerners like to drink your bourbon,” he shouted at one point to the prideful audience, which revved everyone up all the more as the band continued to pull out all the stops.
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