The Black Keys Fan Lounge

Easter is always a good time for live blues and roots music in Australia. It’s a time when the best artists arrive to play side shows around the annual Byron Bay Blues and Roots Festival. This year Dan Auerbach was in Australia to perform a string of shows including the festival supporting the release of his solo ‘Keep It Hid’ record. I saw him in Melbourne at an almost full Corner Hotel, a place where The Black Keys sold out 3 consecutive nights in 2005.

I missed seeing Hacienda’s support slot while I slurped beers in the roof top bar. The deep resonance of Tony Joe White’s voice drew me downstairs to catch the last few songs of his set and encore. I don’t know why, but I love a man who plays in a hat and sunglasses indoors.

The Corner Hotel uses a curtain in front of the stage between acts. Where The Black Keys have an introduction to the stage by an MC, Dan Auerbach and his Fast 5 (Hacienda plus Patrick Hallahan from My Morning Jacket) simply acknowledge the crowd as the curtain pulls back and launch into ‘Trouble Weighs A Ton’. As with the album, the song works as a welcoming introduction, a lilting reflective tune before the racket of the bands jamming style.

‘I Want Some More’ quickly follows ‘Trouble’ and the crowd starts hollering and lurching for more too.

I can finally see what people have been saying for weeks about Dan Auerbach and the Fast 5 live. The song’s take on a new life, the band is tight but light enough to be watching each other shine, there’s something about maracas that adds some interesting spice, and it’s not just Dan fronting up rather it’s a real band effort that drives the songs on.

Dan played 2 covers ‘Oh Carol’ by Rockin’ Horse, and ‘Inside Looking Out’ by The Animals, not to mention the recorded Wayne Carson Thompson track ‘I Want Some More’, to flesh out the set. ‘Money and Trouble’ is apparently an un-released original by Dan.

When Dan was only accompanied by his own guitar on tracks like ‘When The Night Comes’ you feel as if he is finding his true self. These simple, evocative songs gripped the audience’s attention. For me this track was the highlight of the night.

Generally, the melodic lines of the tracks really shone through live and the 60s guitar jangle accentuated a poppy feel to tracks.

Interestingly, even a weaker album track like ‘Keep It Hid’ became a highlight as the band contorted it into something much more than the sum of its parts. In this respect the double drummer attack when Patrick Hallahan left the maracas, bongos and iron bar and got behind a drum kit gave some inspiring visual and beat-heavy power to the live sound.

Believe the hype, the reviews are true to their word. Don’t go along looking for The Black Keys (there were a few TBK t-shirts in the crowd), although some songs are similar only in so far as Dan’s guitar dominates (Dan uses the same guitar throughout). If you liked the ‘Keep It Hid’ album, then you’ll love the live experience which expounds upon Dan’s vision and creates something altogether more fascinating than you expected.

Stay tuned…in coming posts for photos and video from Dan’s Corner Hotel show.

Related posts:

1. Review: The Black Keys @ The Palais, Melbourne, Australia, 11 January 2009
2. Dan Auerbach Solo Australian Tour Dates 2009
3. Dan Auerbach's Set List
4. Dan Auerbach – When The Night Comes – Live
5. 2009: The Black Keys Year In Review

Tags: dan auerbach, the black keys