Dan Auerbach @ The Wonder Ballroom

So that's what the Black Keys would sound like if they filled out the band. I guess Dan Auerbach knew no one could replace Patrick Carney because he brought in tour drummers for this tour. I'd liken the difference between a Black Keys show and this one, as the sonic difference between bolts of lighting and rolling thunder. It was muscular rock and roll with less of an emphasis on individual virtuosity and it sounded great.

Hacienda & Those Darlins opened, with Hacienda pulling double duty as Dan's backing band. The country punk of Those Darlins' "Wild One" would have fit perfectly on one of Sympathy for the Record Industry's Alright, This Time, Just The Girls compilations.

Dan Auerbach - Keep It Hid (2009)

Dan Aurbach plays the Wonder Ballroom tomorrow night and if past Black Keys performances are any indication, the show should be filled with awesome guitar pyrotechnics. He's out on the road supporting his new solo album, Keep I Hid. While the drums are definitely less prominent on it, the music isn't really that much of a deviation from the garage blues he plays with Patrick Carney. The difference seems to primarily be in tone - the album is laid back where the Keys were often intense. It also feels a little more intimate and off the cuff, likely a product of recording holed up alone at home. I probably will always be a fan - I have favorites on every album - but this one was more of a grower than the last few. Regardless, I look forward to seeing what the songs sound like live.

Royal Bangs – We Breed Champions (2008)

Don’t let the indie rock classification (or my recent “mellow music” reviews) fool you into thinking the Royal Bangs don’t rock something serious… just listen to the track “Brother” and you’ll agree. This is rock and roll (and I like it). We Breed Champions’ loose, lo-fi, garage rock reminds me of bands that get second or third billing for a show, siege the stage with reverberating guitar hooks, frenzied, symbol heavy drumming, and electrifying energy and pretty soon have the previously apathetic bar crowd pressed up against the stage and rockin’ hard. I found these guys through Black Keys’ drummer Patrick Carney's label Audio Eagle, and as you would expect from this association they are heavy on the rough, catchy, but not one-dimensional, garage rock.

Rock hard to, but not limited to, “Brother,” and reduce the speed (just slightly) with “Broke Calculator” or “New Scissors.”

The Black Keys - Attack & Release (2008)

I love seeing the Black Keys live. Dan Auerbach plays the hell out of the guitar and Patrick Carney always seems like he's on the verge of destroying his drum kit. However, this album highlights their laid back side. "All You Ever Wanted" starts if off by sucking you in with its loping rhythm. The mellow songs, like "Things Ain't LIke They Used To Be", stand out in part because the production adds new textures to their sound. Songs like "Remember When (Side B)" and "I Got Mine" bring back the destructive guitar riffs, but they're used in moderation.