The Black Keys and Gary Clark Jr. delivered one of the summer’s most electrifying double bills on Sunday night at Budweiser Stage. There was an end of summer vibe in the air. The audience was looking to have a good time on the Labour day long weekend.
Gary Clark Jr. opened the night with a performance that was equal parts hypnotic groove and searing guitar heroics. Starting off with Catfish Blues backed with Maktub, a pair of songs drenched in deep tones and laid-back swagger. Ain’t Messin’ ‘Round, When My Train Pulls In and Don’t Owe You A Thang carried the weight of the blues. The guitar work of both Gary Clark Jr. And King Zapata brought the fireworks throughout the night. Third Stone From the Sun was teased before What about Us and Bright Lights wrapped up the set with the crowd roaring in appreciation.
By the time The Black Keys took the stage, the audience was primed for a more raucous affair. Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney poked through a red velvet curtain releasing a slit of blue light, foreshadowing things to come. Once they took their places they exploded into a medley of Thickfreakness, The Breaks and I’ll Be Your Man, tunes representing some of their earliest material.
Once the medley finished, the curtain opened revealing the rest of the band as they broke into Your Touch. The setlist was cherry picked from their deep discography. Featuring Man On A Mission, A Little Too High and the title track from their newest album No Rain, No Flowers. There was also a heavy dose of Brothers with the hits Howlin’ For You, Next Girl and Tighten Up.
Classics like Gold On The Ceiling, Lonely Boy and I Got Mine melded seamlessly with deeper tracks such as Psychotic Girl and Too Afraid To Love You. I thought the coolest moment of the evening was when they played the cover of Canned Heat’s On the Road Again. It is a perfect cover for the band to do. All the guitarist taking turns jamming the main riff. Dan’s fingers danced along the fretboard effortlessly.
There is more complexity and nuance to the music they have crafted since Brothers came out. The band adds depth that lends to a more full sound in big venues while allowing Pat and Dan to flex their power and energy within the band framework. I have been lucky to see this band many times when it was just two guys in tiny clubs and that raw energy still entrances me. The North Mississippi sound providing the skeleton for this primal animal.
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