“now this The motherfucker can play guitar!” Swaying and dancing millennials drank dirty rock, drank plenty of beer and screamed deep at the Black Keys' Friday night show in Park City. The man turned out to perfectly encapsulate the crowd full of too-cool Sundance attendees who let their hair down, moved around, and drank like a basement party, and Keys had just the right sound to let loose.
Part of the evening's appeal came from Park City's newest music mecca, the Marquis. Boasting state-of-the-art audio design and an intimate stage for large-scale performances, the newly renovated 1,200-capacity venue boasted great acoustics in a cozy atmosphere. Despite officially opening on New Year's Eve weekend, Keys' set felt like a baptism of blues for the revamped venue.
At one of their first performances since releasing their upcoming 12th album, “Ohio Players,” the Akron duo seemed energized by the prospect of their upcoming album and the prospect of touring to accompany it. The quiet communication between frontman Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney seemed sharper than ever, and their renditions of songs felt warmer and dirtier in concert. Instead of accurately recreating their records, the pair focused on vibes and gave fresh life to their biggest hits, “Gold on the Theater,” “Howlin' for You,” “Tighten Up,” and encore closer “Lonely Boy.” I put it in. sing a song
But things got even more heated when Auerbach promised to take the crowd “down to the basement” and drag out deeper cuts with heavier licks. Opening with the loud and crashing “I Got Mine,” the band enjoyed their raw singing, which allowed them to experiment with their musicianship live.
Considering how the Black Keys' music harkens back to a simpler rock 'n' roll era, Auerbach and Carney are top musicians, creating a wonderful racket that always seems to be on the verge of chaos. The tall Carney plays exactly what the songs need with all his limbs hidden behind a minimalist kit, pounding away with dynamics that many drummers bash with indifference. Auerbach is full of pure energy, his sunglasses hiding the soul in his sweet vocals and the guitar solo fits the song perfectly.
Their boundless passion kept them blasting through deeper cuts, including ‘Wild Child’, ‘Fever’, and new single ‘Beautiful People (Stay High)’. The duo is now backed by a solid quartet of musicians who add depth to each song, but it will be thrilling to have a segment of each show with just Auerbach and Carney together to reminisce about their explosive early performances.
“Rock and roll will never die.” exclaimed an optimistic fan after the house lights came on late into the night. It was the kind of reckless abandon you wouldn't expect from an evening out at a film festival. While Sundance during the day was based on arthouse movies with no dialogue about Bigfoot vomit and fart groups, the evening was devoted to the decidedly simple pleasures of big amplifiers and pounding drums. After all, sometimes you just want to listen to a motherfucker who can play guitar.
The Black Keys are scheduled to play another set at the Marquis on Sunday night. ‘Ohio Players’ is scheduled to be released on April 5.