By any measure, it would seem that The Black Keys helped turn the muddied fields of New Jersey's Liberty State Park into a memorable closing day for the 2009 All Points West festival. Rolling Stone says their "primal power" of "one of America’s most respected bands" served them well. Esquire says the band's set stood out from the rest of the pack, making everything "whole again," and gives a "Daily Endorsement" to drummer Pat Carney.
By any measure, it would seem that The Black Keys helped turn the muddied fields of New Jersey's Liberty State Park into a memorable closing day for the 2009 All Points West festival.
Rolling Stone says the "primal power" that permeates from The Black Keys, "one of America’s most respected bands," made perfect sense under such conditions. Festival reviewer Hardeep Phull writes:
Patrick Carney’s drumming is rarely less than apocalyptic, singer Dan Auerbach doesn’t just play guitar but throttles it, and the raw, whiskey-soaked tones of his voice convey more emotion than any assemblage of words could ever do. And when they put it together during “Thickfreakness” or the sinister stomp of “Strange Times,” it was a pulverising combination.
Read more from the magazine's complete festival coverage at rollingstone.com.
---
Esquire's Matt Sullivan, though none too impressed by the festival's overall vibe, found The Black Keys, and drummer Pat Carney in particular, to be well above the fray. In fact, Carney made it to Esquire's "Daily Endorsement" yesterday.
Sullivan recognizes that the electric duo has emerged as "live music's new saving grace," and the format was certainly well represented in the festival lineup. "But," he insists, "then there were the Black Keys, and with them drummer Patrick Carney, and everything was whole again."
After reiterating Esquire's previous praise for the band's "killer live show and the killer new solo work from lead singer Dan Auerbach," Sullivan has these kind words to add about the man who "broke four sticks in a 50-minute set":
He is mesmerizing in the way that I imagine Zeppelin's John Bonham was to the folks who were underwhelmed even by Woodstock—soloing on the kit even over a guitar solo, abusing a high hat like Big Papi does a batting tee, smacking a couple pieces of canvas without a hint of synthesizer.
There's video to prove it and more at esquire.com.
---
For his part, Dan Auerbach has announced a number of solo tour dates this November and December, for which he'll be joined by Justin Townes Earle and Jessica Lea Mayfield. In the much nearer future, he'll perform at what will hopefully prove to be a less rain-filled festival, Lollapalooza 2009, in Chicago's Grant Park this weekend. Prior to his Sunday set in the park, Dan will play a late-night set at Chicago's Schuba's Tavern with Kentucky natives Cage the Elephant on Saturday. For Dan's complete tour schedule, visit nonesuch.com/on-tour.
- Log in to post comments
