With The Black Keys and Dan Auerbach each hitting stops in the greater Maryland/Washington D.C. region last month, it only seemed appropriate to stack the two shows against each other – Auerbach’s main gig vs. his side gig, Baltimore, MD vs. Washington D.C., duo vs. ensemble.
[All Photos By Zachary Herrmann]
So, what better way to compare the two than with a Battle of the Bands? We’ll tally up points for each round, and, at the end, crown a winner. Let’s see how Auerbach fared against Auerbach.
CORE BAND:
With The Black Keys, you know exactly what you’re getting: two dudes, a guitar, a drum kit and a lot of noise. The Akron, Ohio twosome has been doing its dirty, bluesy, garage rock thing for the better part of the decade and – after last year’s brilliant Attack and Release
Dan Auerbach’s backing band for his first solo tour behind last month’s Keep It Hid
READ ON for the rest of Rudi’s comparison of Dan vs. The Keys…
It’s taken me a day or two to come up with a way to review the show I saw last Friday night in downtown Nashville. Lucero, a Memphis band I’ve been a fan of for a few years now, performed a two-night stand this past weekend.
I was a little late due to work obligations and then a car accident on the interstate. When I finally arrived, I found the place completely sold out and jam-packed. Don’t get me wrong – the large crowd was expected, that’s become the trend when Lucero travels to Nashville and their success is definitely a great thing for the band. I was able to catch the last three songs of what I believe to be a great up-and-coming band, The Dexateens.
The Dexateens are southern-garage rock from Alabama and I think (and hope for their sake) they become a band to reckon with in the near future. I was really happy I arrived in time to check out a few of their songs, so happy, I actually purchased one of their albums at the show. I can’t tell you the last time that happened.
READ ON for more of Jennifer’s thoughts on Lucero in Nashville…
Over this past year we’ve expanded our coverage from NYC to all four corners of America. One city we’ve always had our eye on was Washington D.C. and we’re excited to welcome a new contributor to cover the live music scene in our nation’s capital. Please welcome Rudi Greenberg to Team HT…
[All Photos by Zachary Herrmann]
Apparently, Dr. Dog didn’t know it was December. With ornate flower arrangements, faux palm-like trees on stage and three band members wearing sunglasses, the band tried to heat up the 9:30 Club on a chilly Wednesday night in Washington last week with its psychedelic power pop. All the better, considering the Philadelphia-based band’s music is more fit for a summer day than a winter night.
With an 18-song set and a three-song encore, Dr. Dog powered through its 85-minute show with the energy and enthusiasm of a young band out to prove itself, which makes sense. While the band released its first album, Psychedelic Swamp, in 2001, the band’s current style dates back to 2007’s We All Belong
READ ON for more of Rudi’s Dr. Dog review…
Random stabbings and artless critiques of ten new records you haven't heard about.
