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| The Black Keys @ the Greek Theatre (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
The Black Keys headlined a sold-out Sunday night show at the William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley that showed that the band has retained all of their power and originality despite last summer’s tour-related controversy. Guitarist / Lead Singer Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney may have assisted at times by percussion, keys, bass and rhythm guitar backing musicians, but the Keys sound remains centered on the Akron, Ohio duos power.
The Black Keys have rebounded in 2025 from a terrible 2024 that saw their 12th album receive a lukewarm reception and a cancelled arena tour (allegedly due to lower than anticipated ticket sales) that led to a very public split from their management company. While a “more intimate” tour that was talked about for 2024 never occurred, the band went back in the studio and recorded the upcoming “No Rain, No Flowers” which will be released August 8th.
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| The Black Keys @ the Greek Theatre (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
Whatever bad mojo may have existed last year, none of it was on display or made mention of on the chilly Berkeley night as Auerbach danced and smiled throughout the night as he egged the audience on and unleashed his guitar wizardry. Carney – with his drum kit positioned at the very front left of the Greek stage - provided the big drum sound and complex rhythm.
Auerbach and Carney began their performance alone in front of a giant red curtain performing a medley of Thickfreakness / The Breaks / I’ll Be Your Man. Despite only the two men performing, the sound was far from stripped down or acoustic, but rather ripping rock ‘n’ roll with plenty of distortion. Auerbach, his guitar connected to his amp by a long white coiled guitar cable, continually bounced between his microphone on the front edge of the right-side of the stage and standing atop Carney’s drum-riser to play up close with his musical partner for the last twenty-five years.
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| The Black Keys @ the Greek Theatre (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
As the duo launched into “Your Touch”, the curtain opened to reveal the supporting musicians and a large tassel curtain behind them. The full band then ripped through two of their biggest hits with a roaring version of 2010’s “Howlin’ for You” leading into a blistering take on “Gold On The Ceiling” from 2011’s “El Camino”. Those songs that have become associated with movies, commercials and sporting events in the decades had a fresh life to them when performed live with Auerbach’s endless energy and Carney’s thunderous beats.
“Fever” saw the first use of the video screen behind the band as a scene unfolded like a giant warehouse as trucks assembled The Black Keys logo letter-by-letter until the “The” was winched down on top. As he did most of the night, Auerbach hopped throughout the song and continued to encourage the audience with occasional insertions of “C’mon!”
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| The Black Keys @ the Greek Theatre (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
The band played a 70’s funky version of “Wild Child” before Auerbach introduced “I Got Mine” with “We’re going to play you an oldie but a goodie. This one’s for Akron.” The song was accented by strobe lights, but the lighting was kicked up a notch for “Everlasting Light,” begun with Auerbach under a bright solo spotlight before a huge disco ball projected fantastic light all around The Greek. Auerbach gave a sweet, syrupy solo on the tune and Carney drummed softly underneath Auerbach’s falsetto.
While “Next Girl” was the ninth song of the evening, it was only the first time the band was shown on the giant video screens behind them. For most concerts these days, it would be unheard of, but the positioning of the core duo so far forward on the stage made the screens almost unnecessary. Unlike most arena or stadium shows where giant video screens can draw and keep the attention of the crowd away from the stage, Auerbach’s constant motion and their proximity were the center of focus at all times.
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| The Black Keys @ the Greek Theatre (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
Two tracks from the upcoming album were played: the current, poppy single of “The Night Before” was delivered with breakneck pace to it and the title track of “No Rain, No Flowers” had a blend of 80s and 90s pop to it with a great hook to the chorus. In between the two new ones, Auerbach and Carney brought highlights like Auerbach’s screaming solo on “Lo/Hi”, a version of “Weight of Love” that had hints of Pink Floyd to It and spotlighted Carney’s drumming.
After the new album’s title track, the band finished with straight-ahead rock versions of “Heavy Soul” and “She’s Long Gone” that saw Auerbach leaning heavily into feedback and distortion and Carney thundering the song to a finish with strobes flashing and the crowd roaring with approval.
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| The Black Keys @ the Greek Theatre (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
For the encore, Auerbach and Carney returned to perform a tender at first version of 2011’s “Little Black Sub” in front of the red curtain before finishing the night with a full power, full-band version of “Lonely Boy.”
Opening the night, The Heavy Heavy brought their modern take on the classic Laurel Canyon 1960’s sound back to Berkeley for the second time in three years and provided another impressive set as the audience filled in during their 45-minute set. Lead singers Georgie Fuller and Wiliam Turner harmonized just as much as they sang solo and were ably joined by bassist Tom Holder, guitarist/keyboardist Frank Fogden and drummer Joe Bordenaro.
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