all photos: Joel Didriksen
all words: Tobi from XMU
NPR Stream right here
You just know the week is going to be a good one when it gets a jump start as The Black Keys melt your face off with their signature brand of blues-rock at the 9:30 Club! I mean, seriously, I don’t think there was a person in the club that didn’t pump a fist in the air during the show at some point…and this is DC…usually not a lot of fist pumping to be found. It’s amazing that just two men, Patrick Carney and Dan Auerbach, can generate that much sound on stage.
They put on a live show that is raucous and bluesy, soulful and bombastic. And the best part about this band is that they don’t need theatrics…they make the kind of raw and emotional music you can listen to anywhere, anytime. They visited me at XMU before their show and they were two of the most down to earth boys from Akron, Ohio you’ll ever meet…and I’m from Indianapolis, so I’ve met my fair share of boys from the Midwest. Friends since childhood, they told me they started making music together that their friends and family could listen to while drinking a cold beer…preferably out of a can. My kind of “rock stars” for sure! My former intern described the show as “flask tilting rock and roll.” Brilliant! Suffice to say, your elixir of choice doesn’t really matter…what does matter is that you see The Black Keys play live at some point in your concert-going career. Their show is magical, and for what it’s worth, highly recommended by this indie rock loving girl from Indy!
Thanks Martin,
Glad you like em… Conditions for shooting at the 9:30 are just a bit different than a 6 foot high arena stage!
Yeah man, especially that last one of the drum kit and the tiger rug.
May 14, 2008 at 6:14 pmI LOVE IT! Amazing photos. The concert was great. Impressive, selling out 2 nights in a row considering last time the crowd was a quarter of the size. Things have changed significantly for “The Keys!”
I wrote a little blurb about the concert on our web site’s blog. If you’re interested, check it out…
.Evolving Music. - http://evolvingmusic.wordpress.com
These are better than your Radiohead shots, Joel. Not to say those aren’t great… these are just fucking awesome.
May 14, 2008 at 5:41 pm