Royal Bangs - matt

Last night I hopped the border and took it on down to Louisville, KY (aptly described by myself rather intoxicatedly as “America’s Bowling Alley”) to see The Black Keys.  I cannot continue this post without addressing them first

TITS. THE FUCKING TITS.

The Black Keys have managed to surpass my expectations every time I have seen them.  This night, however, was the afformentioned tits.  Dan breaks the new material down to basics but colors every phrase with just the right amount of “YES” factor; Patrick Carney was the funkiest I had ever seen him; but they explored the full breadth of their abilities as a band at this point in their career.  And goddamnit, if Dan Auerbach didn’t get spacey. For those that saw them at Lolla this year, multiply that by 10.  They fucking escalated, man.  It was a concert to remember.  A Brussels Affair-level performance.  Word.

BUT….

The fuckers that opened for them are the best fucking opening band I’ve laid ears upon.  The Royal Bangs out of Knoxville, TN, are a 5 person power-combo that is part electronica, part space rock, part country rock, part iwanttotakeacid.  It’s like a case of Wild Turkey meets Modest Mouse-type music. Not quite old school, but not quite new school. The perfect opener for the night.  They manage to put the ROCK in Indie Rock and do not let up until your anus chafes sufficiently (?).  Me and my friend got to share a word with their guitarist who told us we were “good people” and that he needed to lie down or he was going to “die.”  They also switched instruments mid-song.  And they cracked open a beer and poured it all over their drummer.  Rock.

Listen to musical entertainments:

Broke Calculator

Brother

Cat Swallow

I am sated.

Comments(View)