Guitarist and vocalist Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys gave a pleasing performance with his bandmate Patrick Carney last Tuesday. The duo’s seventh studio album “El Camino” debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 chart late last year with the lead single “Lonely Boy.” | Courtesy of Edith Partida
The Black Keys and Arctic Monkeys performed in Houston on Tuesday at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion.
As the sun was still out, the Arctic Monkeys opened the concert by playing “Brainstorm” — the track that put them on the charts and defined them as a band.
The song was riveting and so was the adrenaline and rock sound that a band of this caliber is known to deliver to its audience.
Fans of the band were touched by the intensity and power that the Arctic Monkeys delivered with the tracks “Don’t Sit Down Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair” and “If You Were There Beware.”
There were many parts of their performance that were similar to their set seen at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival this year.
As their one-hour set came to a close, they played their newly released single “R U Mine?” — which was promoted on this year’s Record Store Day.
The lights dimmed in preparation for the main event of the night — The Black Keys — and the audience snapped into attention as soon as they heard the guitar riff and keyboards introduce the song “Howlin’ for You.”
The set predominately consisted of music from the band’s mainstream career.
The Black Keys performed songs from their Grammy award-winning album “Brothers” as well as tracks from their new album, “El Camino,” which was not a surprise since this is the duos first stadium sized tour.
Though they had to appease their new fans, there were also tracks that only longtime listeners of the band knew such as “I’ll Be Your Man,” which was on the band’s first full-length album.
They also played the singles that made them popular among the blues and rock crowds during the growth of the band.
“Thickfreakness” and “Your Touch” lacked nothing and sounded rugged and formidable in comparison to their album counterparts.
Guitarist and vocalist Dan Auerbach of the duo started singing “Everlasting Light” — a fan favorite from “Brothers”— as a giant disco ball propelled down from the rafters.
Finally, the track from their 2008 album “Attack and Release” that propelled The Black Keys to become more of a household name — “I Got Mine” — was performed.
There was a mellow rhythm after the second verse that was dismissed during this live jam session that was a masterfully crafted build.
As Auerbach strung his guitar, the drums kicked in exploding the sounds through the mounted speakers and onto the audience.
The wailing guitars ended the night perfectly.
Loving these puns in the article names. Didn't realize the Daily Cougar hired Gene Shalit!
Maybe it was just the area I was in, but there seemed to be a lot of smoke on the grass and groups of people just turning around and talking with their friends. This was the third time I've seen The Black Keys live, the first two was at Austin City Limits Music Festival, the latter of which was when my wife and I decided not to go to ACLMF anymore. There were/are too many people not interested in the music so much as they are interested in going to a concert and talking throughout. Please, if you want to talk to your friends, go to a coffee shop, not a concert.
Sorry for the rant, good review though.
I totally agree man, there is a lack of respect for the artist now. It is totally messed up and takes away from the music experience. I am totally going to write about that next.
I saw them in 2006 in a club in Austin and it was fine, but had the same problem as you when I saw them in Houston in 2007. People more interested in Facebooking that they were there than to actually see the show.
"As the sun was still out, the Arctic Monkeys opened the concert by playing “Brainstorm” — the track that put them on the charts and defined them as a band."
The name of the track is Brianstorm and that song did not 'put them in the charts' or 'define them as a band', they'd already had several hits before it
Yeah … that was kinda weak. "I Bet That You Look Good On The Dance floor" is totally what brought them to the attention of most Americans. #lame
The Arctic Monkeys had one album before this that did not allow the band to even truly tour the US. It was not until Favourite Worst Nightmare that the band came to Houston to play at the Warehouse Live. It was so bad that the audience was so demeaning to them!!! I was screaming and jumping during their whole set and people were just staring, where are the day when people showed courtesy to bands.