The Black Keys have come a long, long way since that first gig in Akron, Ohio, sometime in early 2002. They played a show in front of just ten paying customers. The total take for the night was five dollars for guitarist Dan Auerbach and five dollars for drummer Patrick Carney.
Things improved slowly. Their first album was recorded in the basement of Pat’s family’s house. The third album was recorded in an abandoned tire factory. But with each new album, life got a little better–for an indie band, anyway. There was a lot of critical acclaim and much hipster love, but it wasn’t until their 2008 album, Attack & Release, that the rest of the world began to figure out what the Black Keys were all about. And, of course, things blew up real good with their 2010 album, Brothers.
And where did the band get their name, anyway? Pat’s father used the phrase “black key” as something that wasn’t quite right. I wonder what he thinks of his son’s job?
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