Ladies and Gentlemen: Introducing the Black Keys

If you do not know the Black Keys now, I hope you will soon. They certain deserve every piece of recognition that they get.

The Black Keys hail from Akron, Ohio. Just by their picture you can tell they would blend seamlessly into their surroundings in the Rubber City. (Thank goodness for a profession that does not require super-model good looks, eh?)
I got to see the Keys perform at the Beachland Ballroom outside of Cleveland last month. I later learned this is where they played their very first gig, which added an element of coolness-ness to the evening. They performed in the ballroom's adjacent barroom area, which only held approximately 150 people. It was a very intimate arrangement! And I ended up only an arms' length away from the guitarist, Dan Auerbach.

Now for those who know not, the Black Keys are a blues duo very much steeped in the traditions of classic styled blues. (Do I feel a complex coming on? Two-person blues-rockers? Why does that sound familiar?) Their songs are like a pair of well-worn jeans. Comfortable and familiar, and no matter how many times you hear the same song, it always looks good. Dan Auerbach's vocals sound like a mix between Howlin' Wolf and a rusty car door. Patrick Carney's funked-up drumming has the flailings of a man looking to fend off a porpiose with a tamborine. Both men expend considerable energy during concerts, with constant kinetic energy keeping the music (and the crowd) elevated. A great deal of body fluid seemed to escape both mens' bodys, but they seemed quick to remedy this problem after the concert ended by sucking back on numerous bottles of beer, complemented by a side of cigarettes. This was, not surprisingly, another effective way of blending into the crowd that had assembled this evening.

In encourage all to check out the Keys' music. Their website does have music clips that you can listen to, so enjoy! Find their website here

Pace,
T.