Saturday, May 19, 2012

The Black Keys

Last night marked my first voluntary concert in my entire life.


I've been to two Jonas Brothers concerts (thanks to my sisters) and one Britney Spears concert (thanks to my cousin).


Last night, I saw the Black Keys, featuring the Arctic Monkeys.


And last night was SO MUCH BETTER THAN ALL OF THOSE.


The show was unbelievable. Everything about it was SO PERFECT. Our seats were three rows behind the standing room, center section. We had a clear shot of EVERYTHING. So good!

Actually SEEING Dan and Pat was incredible. They've been my heroes (particularly Dan) for years, and I've always, always, always wanted to see them live. I felt like a giddy little third grader watching them come on stage.

By the time they started playing "Howlin for You," I was completely gone. The guitars, the drums, Dan's voice, the lights-all of it was AMAZING. I was in love with it.

Some of the highlights, I guess, were "Ten Cent Pistol" where they decided to add a minute long silence before the song's last chorus (which they also did for "Little Black Submarines"). Then there was "Thickfreakness," where Dan went NUTS on guitar. "Lonely Boy," "Little Black Submarines," "Nova Baby," "Gold on the Ceiling," "Girl on my Mind," and "Tighten Up" and pretty much every other song were also awesome. Both Caitie and I were going crazy singing along.

The set list was as follows:

Howlin for You
Next Girl

Run Right Back
Same Old Thing
Dead and Gone
Gold on the Ceiling
Thickfreakness
Girl Is On My Mind
I'll Be Your Man
Your Touch

Little Black Submarines
Money Maker
Strange Times
Nova Baby
Ten Cent Pistol
Tighten Up
Lonely Boy

Encore: Everlasting Light, She's Long Gone, I Got Mine

The best, best, best part of the show, though, was right after "Lonely Boy" when Dan and Pat walked offstage. I was on such a high; I was screaming at the top of my lungs for about three minutes straight. The crowd kept going wild, then proceeded to get wilder. People were jumping up and down, chanting, yelling, clapping, "woo-ing." It was great. Then we see a giant disco ball rise behind the stage, and the crowd starts going even more nuts. THEN, out of the side of the stage we see them come back on stage-I was a fool by this point. I swear I've never cheered so hard in my life...

EXCEPT FOR WHEN THE DISCO BALL STARTED SPINNING AND REFLECTING LIGHT AND THEY PLAYED "EVERLASTING LIGHT," MY FAVORITE BALCK KEYS SONG OF ALL TIME. HOly jeez, I died. I just stood there in disbelief. I don't know if I could describe what it meant to me to see The Black Keys playing that song. I've probably listened to that song 10,000 times since I bought Brothers. He sang it so perfectly, too. His falsetto was so great. He became really hushed and stretched out the song and made it so sexy. And the way that man reached out into the audience when he sang-holy cow. He then proceeded to play "Long Gone" and "I Got Mine," which, if you've never heard this song, will bring down a house in two shakes.

Anyway, it was the best possible experience I could've had for my first concert. There was nothing about it I would have changed. They're geniuses. I'll love them until the day I die.

Well done, boys.