Article & Photos by Kyle Ostrander

New York City – On Tuesday night, The Black Keys shook the walls of The Brooklyn Paramount for the second evening of back-to-back sold out shows. Last time the blues rock duo were in NYC, they packed out the expansive Forest Hills Stadium. This time around, in support of their new record Peaches!, the band is giving fans a special treat by bringing all the energy and showmanship of their arena performances to intimate venues hand-selected by the musicians themselves.

Upon entering the venue, a sea of fans decked out in the band’s merch filled the space, conversing about their anticipation for the show. “I was so excited when they announced this tour! The Black Keys are so big now…I thought I missed my chance to see them up close!” exclaimed a fan near the front of the pit. Every inch of the room was packed with fans, some even spilling into the bar areas, or jockeying for positions in the wings of the venue to catch a line-of-sight to the stage. The lights soon dimmed as a blue hue engulfed the stage, revealing singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach vamping on an acoustic guitar under a spotlight. The room erupted with cheers as Auerbach smoothly transitioned his vamping into the intro for “Little Black Submarines” to open the show. The slow build up of the song erupted into a ball of energy when the full band kicked in halfway through, causing the crowd to start dancing and singing along, which continued non-stop the rest of the night. Not missing a beat and keeping the vibes high, the group swung right into the iconic descending intro line of “I Got Mine”, tearing through the song before Auerbach pulled out his signature slide guitar playing for “Gold On The Ceiling”. Compounding the energy was Patrick Carney’s raw drum playing, as the musician pounded his kit, elevating the music’s already unfiltered feeling.

The duo of Auerbach and Carney were joined by an impressive backing band of five musicians, including bass, keys, percussion, and two additional guitars. Each musician had a time to shine during the set through organ solos on “Just Couldn’t Tie Me Down”, dueling guitar parts on “Weight of Love”, and contributing vocal responsibilities on almost every song. Auerbach also took a few moments to show off his own guitar skills, running to the edge of the stage to take screaming solos while interacting with the crowd. The guitarist was almost always in motion, often running across the stage to stand on Carney’s drum riser, locking into extended jams and heavy grooves.

The nearly two-hour set spanned the entirety of the group’s diverse catalog, all the way back to their 2002 debut The Big Come Up, serving up boisterous live arrangements that were distinctly their own while still capturing the garage rock spirit of the records. Along with originals, several covers were added to the mix, including “It Is So Nice To Get Stoned” by Ted Lucas, and “Not Fade Away” by The Crickets, the latter of which featured opener Eddie 9V joining them on guitar. “It feels amazing to be here! Thank you so much for coming out. I wanna see you all dance, all right?” said Auerbach in appreciation during the set.

The Black Keys continue the North American leg of their tour through early August, before hitting a string of international dates, and returning back for a handful of North American shows again in October. You can view the full list of tour dates on their website.