Music (Concert): The Black Keys at the Music Mill; Indianapolis, IN

The Black Keys are not a widely known band. They're one of those bands where if you see someone wearing a Black Keys t-shirt, or if you get into a conversation with someone and find out that person is a fan, you know they have good taste in music and actively look for quality tunes. But on to more about the band. You can read a bio on their website if you want, but for our purposes I'll just say that it's two guys. Dan Auerbach plays a heavily distorted guitar and does the vocal work, and Patrick Carney plays the drums. That's it. Now usually when a band only has three or four members, you'll see a whole crew of people on stage with them on other instruments or what have you, or you'll hear different instruments on the album. Not so with The Black Keys. It's guitar and drums. They were the only two guys on stage.

I went to the show with Zimm at the Music Mill (capacity 750 people), and not knowing what they looked like at first, we kept wondering who of the myriad of people coming on and off the stage was in the band. Having heard their music, we were pretty much expecting a couple of regular-looking guys. When they came out, it was like you knew they gave off the vibe of being two guys you knew in high school or something. Smaller venues tend to lend a sense of intimacy to their shows, but these guys also seemed pretty accessible. Auerbach was decked out in khakis and plaid, and Carney was sporting a Bob Seger shirt. Having waited around for about an hour and a half listening to the Mars Volta over the loudspeakers (the opening band didn't play due to unforeseen circumstances), we were eagerly awaiting some rocking out. The Keys did not disappoint.

The Black Keys are hard to categorize, using elements of dirty old blues and hard rock. Dan Auerbach has the voice of a 1920's bluesman, and the guitar chops to pull off a fusion of the two aforementioned styles. To give you an idea of how Patrick Carney plays the drums, I'll tell you that he broke a drumstick on the first song. He looks kind of like Paul Pfeiffer from The Wonder Years, glasses and all. The glasses were gone by the end of the show, having flown off of his face, probably never to be found again. Auerbach played a furious guitar, making up for the lack of a bassist by playing the bass string with his thumb while wearing a pick on his index finger (which satisfied my curiosity of how he gets that sound). It looked like he hurt his hand about halfway through the show, which wouldn't be a surprise, considering the intensity with which he shreds. They started out with "Stack Shot Billy", from their latest album, Rubber Factory. From start to finish (a solid hour), the crowd of about 600-700 was on its feet and deafening. If their blazing renditions of "Grown So Ugly" and "Till I Get My Way" couldn't get someone moving, that person must have been nailed to the floor.

The band played in such a way that the crowd knew they were having a good time, and they appreciated the feedback. After their initial set, the crowd chanted "Black Keys, Black Keys" until they came back out for the encore. The show was short but sweet, and well worth the $14 price tag (unless one bought their tickets through TicketBastard, who tacks on six bucks in surcharges--but it would've been worth $20, too). I will say this: I don't know if it was the venue or the band, but it was loud. I've seen AC/DC in concert, and that was loud too, but my ears were still ringing this morning after an hour-long concert. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, mind you. I'm just saying.

I can like a band after hearing some albums, but the true measure of a band in my opinion is their live show. The Black Keys put on a memorable show that will make me an active ticket-seeker for their next tour. If they're in your neighborhood, check them out. In the meantime, try out some of their material. You'll be glad you did.

Final Score: 4 cents