The Black Keys

Saturday night Susan and I got together with Ben for the Black Keys downtown at the Fillmore.  They did a great, but short set with some dull moments in the middle when they did some of their new stuff off their latest album.  They brought out a piano player and another guitarist for the new songs, which was weird, I really like the vibe just the two of them put out together, additional players on the stage just diluted it for me.

It seems that the years on the road since the first time I saw them has mellowed them a bit, which I guess was inevitable.  I think every time I've seen them now it's been in a bigger venue.  We sat in the balcony at the top of the theatre, which probably did'nt help either.  They're not quite as raw and in your face as I remember them, and as the venue grows, they become less and less accessible, which to me was always a part of their appeal, just standing at the base of the stage, watching these two guys just play their heart out, knowing you just witnessed something special..

It was great to introduce Ben to the Keys, and I'm not giving up on them yet.

The Fillmore ceiling