Words of Wisdom

There are few things in this world that I enjoy more than live music. I love the atmosphere, I love the energy, and I love that feeling of exultation when the artist plays that certain song or hits those certain notes that send chills up your spine. There is something ortherworldly about the transcendent power of music that lifts you from your current station I life to some higher plane of existence, and it is that feeling for which we yearn.

Last night I had the opportunity to catch a band in concert that I have become a big fan of over the past year, The Black Keys. I first really came into contact with their blues-rock style through Memphis’ own Craig Brewer and his excellent film Black Snake Moan and I’ve been following them ever since. They are somewhat similar to the White Stripes in that they are a two piece (guitar and drums) outfit with blues influences, but, where the White Stripes are more closely aligned with Zeppelin’s blues excursions (think “I Can’t Quit You Baby), the Black Keys’ sound is far dirtier and grimier, as if their amps are somehow submerged in Mississippi river mud. Oh, and they just flat-out rock. Though I couldn’t find anyone to join me for their show last night at the New Daisy, I wasn’t about to miss the chance to see them live.

Around 9:00, the first of two opening acts (which couldn’t have been more different from each other) took the stage, Jessica Lea Mayfield. I enjoyed her melancholic folk sound for the most part, though it seemed a bit out of place when compared to the loud, crunching guitar-driven sound of the Keys. The second act that took the stage offered a completely different sound, something from the far opposite end of the spectrum. While I’m sure Memphis punk-thrash icon Jay Reatard has a niche in the city’s musical landscape, it just escapes me for the most part. They blazed through a 30 minute set with songs only broken by the lead man, Jay, yelling out the names of the tunes in between them. Though it was a bit excruciating, it was short, so I can’t complain too much.

The Black Keys finally hit the stage around 11:00, opening with “Thickfreakness” (I believe, but my memory tends to be faulty and the set list hasn’t been posted anywhere yet). Reverb-soaked riffs filled the theater with their loud, crunching sounds, punctuated periodically by large doses of feedback. With a sound akin to that of the Mississippi Delta cranked to ten with tons of reverb, the guys tore the place down and the sweat-drenched crowd enjoyed every minute of it. I recognized nearly every song they played during their 1.5 hour set. The band tore through tunes like “Stack Shot Billy” and “10 AM Automatic” with a vengeance, Patrick Carney providing rock-steady beat and Dan Auerbach just killing it on guitar. They ended the set with a rousing version of “I Got Mine,” before retreating to the back.

After a short break, the men again emerged to the adoration of the crowd and performed two more stellar cuts – the slower, bluesy “Psychotic Girl”, followed by their final number of the night, the rocking “Have Love, Will Travel” – wrapping up the concert around 12:30 or so. All in all, it was a great show. The crowd was cool, the band was smoking, and, even though I attended the show alone, I had a great time. I heartily recommend seeing them if you ever have the chance.

If you’ve never listened to them before, check out the video below.