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!