The American rock band, The Black Keys, who comprise members Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney, have recently arrived in Ireland as part of a tour to promote their new album, Ohio Players. This marks another visit to the country for the seasoned duo.
Despite facing a scheduling hiccup involving the postponed Manchester date due to the ongoing complications with the opening of the Co-op Live arena, they are now back on track with the rescheduled date set for May 15th. The hold-up was due to the necessity for additional “critical procedure” testing.
Ohio Players, which is the 12th studio album from the rockers, officially released on April 5th, sees the artists delving into more of similar styles as their last album, Dropout Boogie, which debuted in 2022. This time, however, the duo are accompanied by a few guest artists, including Beck and Noel Gallagher.
Fortunately, there were no unforeseen issues regarding their performance at the reputable 3Arena. Coming off the back of an all-vinyl dance party at Dublin’s Grand Social, the Akron-based musicians were evidently ready to rock.
The opening act was by Circa Waves, who swiftly captivated the audience amassed on the floor with their catchy tunes like Jacqueline and Your Ghost. Their performance was enough to convince some attendees to get hold of their merchandise.
The headliners began their act after a brief break with the track I Got Mine, followed by a bluesy improv from Auerbach that led into the catchy Gold on the Ceiling. More vintage favourites, or “oldies but goldies” as Auerbach put it, were played until they switched it up with This Is Nowhere from the Ohio Players album.
The Black Keys, having a discography spanning over two decades, understandably performed a number of their older songs too. Given the band’s popularity, the majority of the audience was likely present to hear some of their newer releases.
The audience was taken on a nostalgia trip with the performances of ‘Weight of Love’ and ‘Howlin’ For You, boasting impressive solo acts. Even though none of the collaborators from the new album made surprising appearances, a delightful surprise was brass players’ participation in ‘Beautiful People (Stay High)’. ‘Fever’ continued to uphold their momentum into the third act with a performance that was more gritty compared to the studio version, a gratifying repeating aspect of their performance.
Subsequent were pair of tracks from Ohio Players along with Gallagher that seemed as though they’d smoothly slip into an Oasis gig, not necessarily undermining their quality. Transitioning towards the final of the main part of the show was a cover of ‘I Heard it through the Grapevine’, before the encore performances garnered the most applause of the evening.
The finale was marked by the performances of ‘Little Black Submarines’ and ‘Lonely Boy’, it seemed almost probable that the audience had been eagerly waiting for these songs throughout the night. Auerbach and Carney, mainstays of rock music, justified their distinction through catchy guitar sequences and precise drumming which made their musical offering quite enjoyable, leaving no room for attendees to feel disappointed after the concert.
Some of the recent tracks didn’t resonate as well, however, both established and new fans had no cause to grumble.