Showdate: October 4, 2010
You can always tell how hot a show is by how far down Burnside the street scalpers come in search of extras.
Street scalper record for hotness? Congratulations to The Black Keys! You win. Streets were really. Well. Streety tonight. Lots of loitering with intent. I’m accosted multiple times for extras, two streets are fighting for the same mark (one street is obviously unbalanced/inebriated, the other rocking a look more retro and low rent than me), and another is flashing his roll in the open. Amateur hour shit, fellas. Have some respect for your fucking profession.
Opener is Nicole Adkins. 8:15-9:00 for those of you scoring set times at home for fun and profit. I’m in Lola’s room. Nicole sounds good enough for me to reconsider my priorities. Original plan wins out. Slow pleasant roll to Drunkytown it is. Take me to it, bitches. Boozing. Solo. Shit! How do I answer that stupid ass alky questionairre now? Well, people ARE in the room. Loophole. Fuck off alky questionairre.
Nicole jolts me out of my reverie.
“You want me to take my shirt off?”
Not enough peeps cheer for it to even remotely have happened (I only have sound in Lola’s room).
Nicole is actually pretty damn good, party people. Respect. Lola’s is a human zoo. Let’s scout for entertainment. Kegs getting blown. The guy I tab as most likely to get blown tonight looks like he just wants to hit ‘n quit. She’s looking more sure. Body language, you know. My money is on the chick. Godspeed.
Alright, let’s separate the pro drinkers from the amateurs. All about the timing, maximum boozing per minute, and booze protection. Thank you Wazzu education. I love you. Because it is time. Time to drink and roll. I’m actually writing as I go tonight. Fuck yeah, man. Benefit of rockin’ solo. Feel like I am the furthest data point on the hell yeah side of the bell curve (for all you squares out there? I’m loaded). Let’s scout the merch. Booze it up. Setlist:
Thickfreakness
Girl Is On My Mind
10a.m. Automatic
The Breaks
Stack Shot Billy
Busted
Act Nice And Gentle
Everlasting Light
Next Girl
Chop And Change
Howlin’ For You
Tighten Up
She’s Long Gone
10 Cent Pistol
I’ll Be Your Man
Strange Times
I Got Mine
—Encore
Sinister Kid
Your Touch
Show is sold out. Or clean, if you prefer the insider term. First night of a two night Crystal stand. The Black Keys are returning to the scene of their 2008 concert DVD. During the set Dan comments, “it smells good in here”. Floor is jam packed and people are smoking if they are holding. Crowd is all over the map for age and appearance. Fun. I’m geeked up. I try and sneak into the VIP section and am denied. Gotta try. Wish I had big tits. Well, maybe not.
Lights drop. Stage backdrop is a white lighted THE BLACK KEYS sign. Nice. Reminiscent of the KISS backdrop. You know what I’m sayin. Don’t pretend. Dan Auerbach is rocking vocal and guitar to the right. Patrick Carney is the left on drums. The boys launch into “Thickfreakness” and away we go.
I really had no doubts about this show. The Black Keys are selling out shows from coast to coast. And there is a good goddamn reason. They slay. First song in and I know it. Dark days are definitely through. Third song is “10a.m. Automatic”. Next time I am getting closer to the fucking stage. Watching Dan play guitar is a treat. Not like Jimi Hendrix amazing or anything. I’m not that over the moon. Just filthy blues rock. I wanna be that when I grow up. Filthy blues rock.
You got pains like an addict
10a.m. automatic
Hearing that distorted guitar is a drug. “Stack Shot Billy” was amazing. Highlight of the set for me. Blues solo opening before settling into the groove. Patrick quietly tapping it out, waiting. I don’t give this song enough credit on the recorded side of things. Won’t anymore. I’m standing, mouthbreathing, watching as Dan goes from grooves, to a hard rock guitar solo, Patrick bashing away as the song finishes like all good rock songs. With the guitarist up on the drum riser.
During the middle part of the set that was heavy with tracks from Brothers, the band becomes a 4 piece with a bassist and keyboardist giving a fuller sound. During the entire set, the stage energy isn’t manic, but it is certainly high. During “Everlasting Light” some large colored bulbs strung high on the stage create the low-fi prom I always wanted. The set finishes with an insane drumming display that totally eats up “Strange Times” in a good way.
“I Got Mine” finishes the set by starting as a clap-along, transitions into a filthy groove, and ends with the big rock type finish. My only complaint of the night is the encore of “Sinister Kid” and “Your Touch” complete an entire set of only about 90 minutes. I get it. Always leave them wanting more.
As I was sitting in Lola’s I heard some people explaining how there were certain camps of The Black Keys fans. The usual predictable old vs new. Old true fan shit vs bandwagon new fan crap. I’m in the shove your camps camp. If it rocks live, good enough. Anything else is a distraction I don’t need.
This show was fire. No doubt. Everyone there who was even halfway into the band left happy but wanting more. This isn’t a show like fucking Panda Bear where people leave and try and echo chamber their way into believing it was halfway decent. This was a completely awesome night. I left with enough time for Jake’s. Hangover will be worth it.
13 Years. Shoutout.
