the Morning Benders, the Black Keys (07.26.10)

the Band: the Morning Benders, the Black Keys
the Date: Monday July 26, 2010
the Venue: DAR Constitution Hall (DC)

(Photo credit to Chris Svetlik)

The Morning Benders opened. They were cool. We were surprised they were able to stay out so late on a school night … I mean, these guys seriously have baby faces. They were cool though. I really liked the tune they closed with, Excuses.

(Photo credit to Kyle Gustafson)

The Black Keys were simply amazing. Dan Auerbach (vocals/guitar) and Patrick Carney (drums) are from Akron, Ohio. The blues-inspired, low-fi, modern-rock duo are one of the BEST live acts around.

Much of the first half of the show focused on the older stuff. Awesome! Then, they were joined by a bassist and keyboardist for the newer tunes off the band’s newest album, Brothers. Double-awesome! These Ohio boys did not hold back. Patrick’s performance was flawless. He absolutely destroyed the drum kit and by the end of the night was completely drenched with sweat. Dan’s gritty guitar playing along with his bluesy howling and wailing were simply amazing. All in all, the show was a great mix of tunes and an impressive display of the band’s expansive talent.

My favorites of the night were Girl Is On My Mind, Stack Shot Billy, Strange Times, Chop and Change, Tighten Up, Your Touch, and Till I Get My Way.

(Photo credit to Kyle Gustafson)

Full setlist: Thickfreakness / Girl Is on My Mind / 10 A.M. Automatic / The Breaks / Stack Shot Billy / Busted / Everywhere I Go / Strange Times / Same Old Thing / Everlasting Light / Next Girl / Chop and Change / Howlin’ for You / Tighten Up / She’s Long Gone / Ten Cent Pistol / Your Touch / I Got Mine / ENCORE / Too Afraid to Love You / Sinister Kid / Till I Get My Way

Try to ignore, try to unwind
She is on my mind …

the Buffalo Killers, the Black Keys (05.13.08)

the Band: the Buffalo Killers, the Black Keys
the Date: Tue May 13, 2008
the Venue: 9:30 Club (DC)

(Photo credit to Kyle Dean Reinford and his Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kyledeanreinford/)

The opener was the Buffalo Killers. Brothers Andrew and Zachary Gabbard along with drummer, Joseph Sebaali make up the facial-hair-blessed trio. Great classic rock sound! They provided an excellent complement to the Black Keys. Homegrown was my favorite tune (now, what could that song be about? as Dan Auerbach said later in the night, "those guys smoke a lot of weed"). I even pretended to know the words as I sang along out loud … or maybe that was just the Johnny Walker. Regardless, it was a solid, solid start.

(Photo credit to Clint Au and his Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/clintau/)

The band we all came to see was the Black Keys. This is truly one of my favorite blues-based, lo-fi duos (you know that genre, see the White Stripes). Seriously though, these guys, seriously rock. What a great show! Singer-guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Pat Carney held nothing back as they blazed an hour and a half long trail through their now five albums, including this year's Attack and Release. There was even one song that featured Danny boy behind a keyboard-sort-of-thing that, through some miracle of modern science, sounded like a guitar! My personal favorites of the night were 10 AM Automatic, Your Touch and the evening ender Till I Get My Way. Who knew that it was so cool to be from Akron, Ohio?

And, thanks to NPR, you can listen to a taping of the entire show:  http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90270955

Full setlist:  Girl Is on My Mind / Set You Free / Thickfreakness / 10 AM Automatic / Same Old Thing / Stack Shot Billy / Busted/You're the One / Strange Times / Oceans and Streams / Your Touch / The Breaks / Remember When / I'm Glad / No Trust / I Got Mine / ENCORE / Psychotic Girl / Till I Get My Way

Don't you know that I will be callin' on you everyday TILL I GET MY WAY ...

Nathaniel Mayer, the Black Keys (11.12.05)

the Band: Nathaniel Mayer, the Black Keys
the Date: Saturday November 12, 2005
the Venue: 9:30 Club (DC)

(Photo credit to Betsy Spruill and her Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/people/betsyhiggison/)

Nathaniel Mayer opened … but I missed him. Sorry, Nate.

The Black Keys were the headliners. Coming from Akron, Ohio, this minimalist rock duo, consisting of Dan Auerbach (vocals, guitar) and Patrick Carney (drums), completely rocked the 9:30 Club with their stripped-down, juke-joint sound.

I had been following these guys for a bit and after I saw their set at Lollapalooza earlier this summer, I was quickly becoming a fan. I had just picked up their DVD, The Black Keys Live, so I was pretty jazzed to see these guys. They absolutely did not disappoint. Patrick was ferocious on the drum kit while Dan tore away on the guitar, making the strings bend and moan to his every whim. Awesome show!

Their set included songs from The Big Come Up, Thickfreakness, and last year’s release, Rubber Factory. I enjoyed every tune, but my favorites of the evening were Girl is On My Mind, 10 A.M. Automatic, and Till I Get My Way (the last song of the encore).

Full setlist (not from this show, but from one around this time … sorry, best I can do): No Trust / Girl Is On My Mind / Thickfreakness / 10 A.M. Automatic / She Said, She Said (Beatles cover) / The Breaks / Busted / Stack Shot Billy / Grown So Ugly (Robert Pete Williams cover) / Everywhere I Go / Set You Free / Hard Row / Have Love Will Travel (Richard Berry cover) / ENCORE / Work Me Baby (Junior Kimbrough cover) / Till I Get My Way

I’ll take your hand and I’ll make you understand ...