Last night, The Black Keys played Austin’s Frank Erwin Center. It’s a little hard to picture them as an arena band, but The Black Keys filled it up and rocked it out.
The show opened with Brothers’ hit “Howlin’ for You,” captivating the audience from the first note. It may have been because my seats were so high up (basically ceiling level) but Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney looked so small on the large stage. Also, the stage set-up was minimal, with the members front and center with a few imagery videos showing throughout certain numbers. But that personifies The Black Keys. They’re a band that can make a lot of noise with only two people (though they had two backup musicians for most of the show) and put on an incredible show without stage antics or flash. And that’s why this band has come so far.
The set was primarily filled with songs from the band’s latest album, El Camino, and Brothers, but they sprinkled in songs spanning their discography. This included “Girl Is On My Mind” from 2004’s Rubber Factory, a crowd favorite. I know this because the ladies around me went crazy. I always end up near the (a little too) enthusiastic bunch. Let’s just say there was a lot of “air instruments,” including an “air organ,” happening that night.
http://youtu.be/qGjdtDjLNRY
After a little more than hour of tunes, the band said goodnight and exited the stage. As the crowd screamed for more, a GIANT disco ball began its descent towards the stage. The entire room was beautifully lit from the mirrorball (two, in fact) and The Black Keys launched into encore opener, “Everlasting Light.”
The Black Keys put on an incredible show every time I see them. My only regret is that I’ve only seen them in large settings, such as the Frank Erwin Center and ACL Music Festival. I can’t even imagine how good they must be in an intimate venue. Check out the set list below:
Howlin’ for You
Next Girl
Run Right Back
Same Old Thing
Dead and Gone
Gold on the Ceiling
Thickfreakness
Girl Is On My Mind
I’ll Be Your Man
Your Touch
Little Black Submarines
Money Maker
Strange Times
Nova Baby
Ten Cent Pistol
Tighten Up
Lonely Boy
Encore:
Everlasting Light
She’s Long Gone
I Got Mine
Also, since this has been making the rounds, I couldn’t help but include it…
– Submitted by Jessica Reed, Social Media