The Black Keys @ Wiltern April Fool's
Wed, March 19, 2008 | Digg | Read →

 

"You know, we've got a new record out today and it feels good," said singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys. The question was: How would songs off Attack & Release, the Danger Mouse produced "new record", play out in a live setting? Answer: Fucking Fantastic. With his trusty percussionist, Pat Carney, to his immediate right, the blues-duo rocked and swamped through selections from all their albums and most notably from the new one were "I Got Mine", "Strange Times", and "Things Ain't Like They Used To Be" the albums gut-wrenching closer.

Danger Mouses' sonic ear candy, although subtle, is readily apparent on the new album which delivers a much more varied instrumentation (backing vocals, banjo, pan flute) from the Keys' prior releases, but without diverting much from their minimalist two-man getup. When played live, you don't really miss the extra album sounds, Dan's soulful voice and Pat's animated drumming more than make up for any m.i.a. tunage - the sound remains full.

Besides, they played "I Adore" off of 2006's Magic Potion, "A love song of sorts" remarked Dan, quite possibly the simplest and most beautiful song I've heard in years, I could've left after that content as a recently released jailbird. But luckily an ecstatic sold-out Wiltern Theatre crowd wouldn't let up, and we were all eventually treated to a 3 song encore from this traveling blues band from Akron, Ohio who's only stage prop was a monstrous inflatable tire behind them, a nod to their Rubber Factory (their 3rd album) roots back home.

[Sauceysack]