The Black Keys Charlotte, NC 3/24/12

With Arctic Monkeys... that's what we call a two-fer!  I saw these guys back in '07, I think, thanks to my buddy Jolly that had an extra ticket and brought me along to see the extremely British band.  By that I mean their accents are extraordinarily thick.  These guys make Mick & Keef seem like they were born and raised in Topeka.  Leader Alex Turner can't hide the accent even when he sings.  I think that was part of the problem; the between-song banter was undecipherable, which led to confusion from the crowd and  frustration for the band, which didn't garner an encore set, and they left the stage in a huff.  An odd pairing with The Black Keys must have humbled them as an opening act, because they seemed to be in much better of a mood.  They were once predicted to be the next huge band out of the UK, but their popularity fizzled fairly quickly, in the US anyway.  I still dig on 'em.  They played a decently long set, including their big hit "I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor" and off the recent album, Suck It And See, "Brick by Brick" and "Don't Sit Down 'Cause I Moved Your Chair" but no "Perhaps Vampires is a Bit Strong But..." from Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not.

On to the Rust Belt Rockers.  The Keys opened the night with "Howlin' For You" and didn't let up.  They played a handful of tunes with the touring band and then got down to just the duo for some older jams including "Girl Is on My Mind" from my personal fav, Rubber Factory.  They ended the main set with "Tighten Up", their first smash single, and then "Lonely Boy", the song with a riff that somehow seems to bungee off the neck of his guitar, from the new collection, El Camino (that title is close to my heart, it being my first vehicle and my Dad's all-time favorite).  The combination of the Keys and producer Danger Mouse (one half of the group Gnarls Barkley with Cee-Lo Green) is undeniably successful.  He produced Attack and Release, their fifth album that put them on the map, then followed that with just the a fore mentioned single "Tighten Up" from Brothers, which shined a blinding light on their ability.  So, the most logical step would be to have him produce the latest set, El Camino, which led to the single "Gold on the Ceiling" being the theme behind this years NCAA basketball tournament.  I, however, might consider the new one a bit over-produced, but maybe D M's background-synth influence helps mellow out the rawness (that I, personally, can sink my teeth into) in order to cast a broader net for more fans.  Who can blame them?  If you don't have fans, how can you live the rock star lifestyle even actors and athletes envy?  The encore started with Dan Auerbach bustin out his best falsetto for "Everlasting Light" (thought about you, Trey.  I can't help but think of Claudio, too).  With a dazzling light show, throughout the night, they bid us farewell.  Hopefully, they'll be back to Atlanta before the years' end and I won't have to drive so far.  But, who am I kiddin, I love this shit!

 

Jack White Chattanooga, TN 3/10/12

Jack White hasn't released his debut solo album yet, so I was not expecting to know most of the set list, figuring it would be all new stuff with some deep covers that I'd probably not heard before.  Wrong.  He played mostly White Stripes material like the show opening "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground," "Hotel Yorba," and "My Doorbell."  Backed by an all female band, he just ripped us apart.  At one point he and his violinist were trading licks and kickin ass.  They also played The Raconteurs' "Top Yourself" and The Dead Weather's "I Cut Like a Buffalo," from his two other bands.  I think he's taken over the title of "The Hardest Working Man in Show Business" since the demise of James Brown.  It wouldn't have surprised me if he pulled out a little "Portland, Oregon" from the Loretta Lynn album, Van Lear Rose, of which he produced and performed, but no dice.  I believe they jammed for about an hour and a half, but it felt like ten minutes.  Towards the end of the night he pulled out "Pretty Good Looking (For a Girl)" off of my favorite WS album, De Stijl.  Then it was time for "Ball and Biscuit" and he blew the doors off the joint.  We (the whole crowd) couldn't help but to start screaming cheers that was almost as loud as the squealing guitar during the slayed solo.  According to the guy behind us, he closed the night with a cover of Leadbelly's "Goodnight Irene."  There's your deep track.  I wasn't so fortunate to have him bump into me this time, but I think I prefer him on stage, anyway.

During these recent, tragic times, I needed to step back and get away for a bit.  Who better to help me through than Jack.  I encourage everyone to find something in this world  that makes you feel so good that every hair on your body stands on end, as if you're being poked by needles from the inside out, but in a good way.  For me, as you can tell, its live music.  Concerts have gotten me through the roughest of times when hopelessness invades your soul and you believe there's no way out.  Find that "thing" and embrace it, because without it, life can easily seem frivolous.

RIP Cullen