Arguably one of the best contemporary acts to come out of the Midwest, The Black Keys, sold-out the Wiltern on Apr 1st, the same day they released their 5th full-length album, Attack & Release. Not a bad day for the Akron, Ohio-based duo, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney, eh?
Garage Punk project, Jay Reatard, opened the night with a very, very loud 30-minute performance, which ended up being about 30 minutes too long. All was redeemed when The Black Keys eased us into their set with ‘Same Old Thing’ off the latest release. And yes — the Danger Mouse-produced album is recklessly good, brooding with distorted chord progressions and textured with eerie effects and calculated drumming, all while retaining just enough of the band’s signature blues-meets-folk melancholia. Attack & Release is the band’s finest since Thickfreakness. And because the new album appeals to a wider audience, it will be their most financially-successful album to date.
That said, The Black Keys showcased plenty of the songs that gave us a crush on them in the first place, like ‘Set You Free’ and ‘Girls on My Mind’. The crowd responded ceremoniously — by smoking copious amounts of cannabis, a quantity and frequency that could’ve rivaled any Cypress Hill audience. After repeatedly rolling his head back in ecstatic bliss and pleasing the crowd with one rocking tune to the next, Auerbach announced, “We’re going to bring it down for a love song, of sorts,” launching into ‘You’re the One’.
After an encore, that included ‘All You Ever Wanted’, ‘10 A.M. Automatic’, and ‘Till I Get My Way’, Carney chucked his drumsticks into the crowd. And these guys couldn’t have been happier…
Tour Dates:
Apr 6 2008 8:00P
Commodore Ballroom – SOLD OUT Vancouver, British Columbia
Apr 9 2008 8:00P
Ogden Theatre – SOLD OUT Denver, Colorado
Apr 10 2008 8:00P
The Slowdown – SOLD OUT Omaha, Nebraska
Apr 11 2008 9:30P
First Avenue – SOLD OUT Minneapolis, Minnesota
Apr 12 2008 8:00P
Riviera Theatre – SOLD OUT Chicago, Illinois
Apr 13 2008 8:00P
The Vogue – SOLD OUT Indianapolis, Indiana
Apr 15 2008 8:00P
Royal Oak Music Theatre – On Sale Now Royal Oak, Michigan
May 12 2008 8:30P
9:30 Club – On Sale Now Washington, DC, Washington DC
May 13 2008 8:30P
9:30 Club – On Sale Now Washington, DC, Washington DC
May 15 2008 8:00P
Terminal 5 – SOLD OUT New York, New York
May 16 2008 9:00P
The Electric Factory – On Sale Now Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
May 17 2008 7:30P
Orpheum Theatre – On Sale Now Boston, Massachusetts
May 19 2008 7:30P
The Astoria – SOLD OUT London
May 21 2008 7:30P
Manchester Academy – On Sale Now Manchester
May 22 2008 7:30P
ABC – On Sale Now Glasgow, Scotland
May 23 2008 7:30P
Leeds University – On Sale Now Leeds
May 25 2008 7:30P
Melkweg – On Sale Now Amsterdam
May 27 2008 7:30P
Bataclan – On Sale Now Paris
May 28 2008 7:30P
Birmingham Academy – On Sale Now Birmingham
May 29 2008 8:00P
The Astoria – On Sale Now London
Jun 17 2008 8:00P
The Tivoli – On Sale Now Brisbane, Queensland
Jun 19 2008 8:00P
Palace Theatre – On Sale Now Melbourne, Victoria
Jun 21 2008 3:30P
Manning Bar – Sydney University – On Sale Now Sydney, New South Wales
Jun 22 2008 8:00P
Metro Fremantle – On Sale Now Perth, Western Australia
Jul 5 2008 1:00A
Rothbury Festival – On Sale Now Rothbury, Michigan
Leave A Comment!