A few months back I saw Beck at the Electric Factory and thoroughly enjoyed the opening act, a two-piece garage blues band from Akron called the Black Keys. I picked up their latest CD a few weeks ago and have been hooked on it since. I’m so glad I caught them at the North Star Bar Saturday night because they tore the freaking roof and the floor off the place. I talked to the drummer a bit before the show and he said they were totally late for that Beck show at the Electric Factory. They had to do about 100mph down the highway and ended up getting pulled over.
He said, “The cop looked at us like we were retarded.”
If you see these guys live they will completely rock the hell out of your ears and it really adds to the charm that they are just two midwestern kids with enough talent and drive to get their band sounding this good.
You can also check out their recent appearance on Conan here.
20 Miles played the first opening slot and featured the ex-guitarist from the John Spencer Blues Explosion. The guitar player broke a string during the 2nd or 3rd song, so he bailed on his Les Paul and played a much better sounding Fender for the rest of their set. They played a mellower and more rythmic style of blues than the Black Keys, but I definitely liked it.
The Magic Magicians played the 2nd opening slot and I thought they were great. I’ve mentioned before there are two categories of good bands. Bands that inspire you to get more involved in music and those that make you want to give up. The Magic Magicians definitely inspire with their simple, but entertaining and unassuming style. Plus, they have one of the best band names I’ve ever heard.
Comments
2 responses to “The Black Keys @ The North Star Bar”
What’s with the 2 person blues based thing? i.e. 20 miles, white stripes, black keys. Not that I’m complaining.
If you want to see a 2 person group that’s a little more rock based try” Swearing at Motorists”. Or a little more different try “Mates of State”, who will be coming around with “Death Cab for Cutie” later this month.
-Matt
20 miles was a three piece when I saw them.
I think it will take a while for the two piece band to stop sounding like a gimmick, but the Black Keys are much more of a blues band than the White Stripes.
I like the name Swearing at Motorists.