The Black Keys are in New York tonight to play McCarren Park Pool, the unique, former and soon-to-be-again public pool in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Tomorrow, they'll be at the New American Music Union festival in Pittsburgh, sharing a bill with the likes of Bob Dylan, The Raconteurs, and Gnarls Barkley. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette previews that set with a profile of the band that has, with Attack and Release, released its "best record to date" and "garnered the kind of critical praise that rarely comes this positive."
The Black Keys, fresh off their set at last weekend's sold-out Lollapalooza festival in Chicago and a stop the next day in their home state to play at the Toledo Civic Theatre, are in New York tonight to play the 5,500-capacity McCarren Park Pool, the unique, former and soon-to-be-again public pool in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
This weekend, they'll be hitting two more festivals: on Friday night, the New American Music Union in Pittsburgh, sharing a bill with the likes of Bob Dylan, The Raconteurs, Gnarls Barkley, and Spoon; on Sunday, they'll join Dylan again, as well as label mate Wilco and dozens of other performers at the Virgin Mobile Festival in Baltimore.
Today in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, writer Justin Jacobs previews tomorrow's show with a profile of the band he says have hit "the most successful phase of their career" having released Attack and Release, "the duo's best record to date," and for it having "garnered the kind of critical praise that rarely comes this positive."
Jacobs has his own explanation for how this two-man group puts together "enough swampy blues riffs and kick drum punch to move crowds of thousands into a frenzy." He writes:
You might credit Auerbach's wealth of chunky, hard-hitting guitar riffs and his simple, plaintive melodies for just how engaging a Black Keys song is, but the true cause is the interplay between the two best friends.
Carney's percussive blasts give a backbone to Auerbach's winding grooves. Together, the duo plays smoky, backroom rock 'n' roll, heads nodding, feet tapping and drinks flowing.
To read the article, visit post-gazette.com.
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