It was massive, enormous and awesome – and that was just the disco ball that lowered for the encore.
The Black Keys came, they saw, they rocked, and my, how they’ve changed since their humble beginnings.
For starters, they’ve added two auxiliary players, essentially doubling the lineup, dominated radio with a string of singles, and now, with a decade full of albums (each one charting higher than the last), Patrick Carney and Dan Auerbach had to do their best to serve two masses, their old fans (pre-Brothers), and their newly engaged ones.
The duo performed a handful of early songs (three-quarters of the set was material from the past two years) without their backing musicians, Gus Seyffert and John Wood, who added keyboards, bass, and guitars to the more recent, layered material. But the concert lost none of its momentum in these noticeable transitions, as no matter how much the band inflated or shrunk, its formula rested on engrossing, meaty riffs and moody drums with huge appeal.
Auerbach’s anxiety and heartbreak shone through in one particular song, “Girl Is On My Mind”. Here, the six-minute epic highlighted Auerbach wrestling an instinctive and raw energy from his guitar, while Carney’s complementing, rhythmic drumming ensured that the two men can successfully pump life into every inch of space the Sydney Entertainment Centre had left.
Half way through the set, their Led Zeppelin sounding tune “Little Black Submarines” made an appearance. The audience was silent for Auerbach’s hushed lyrics, before reaching the end of the chorus and pausing; the stage went dark and the song begun again with amped up speed and the full band contributing, letting out a heavy rock vibe assisted with strobe lights flashing in sync with the drumbeat.
Fans of recent material were left more than satisfied, singing along to hits such as “Lonely Boy,” “Tighten Up” and “Gold on the Ceiling” to name a few, as well as the heavier blues inspired songs “I Got Mine”, “Your Touch” and “Strange Times” that older fans would of appreciated but perhaps still craved more of.
During the first encore song, “Everlasting Light,” a disco ball illuminated the entire venue in yellows, blues, and purples. The band stamped out their show with a flashing “The Black Keys” sign that again, lowered from the ceiling, reminding those that were in awe-struck delirium just who the Ohio natives were.
With Auerbach starting rumblings by telling fans attending his surprise DJ gig that they could expect new Black Keys material next year, we can all hope it won’t be too long before this well-rehearsed class act return to our shores.
