August 9, 2025 – As the lights dimmed, the Akron, Ohio duo of Dan Auerbach (lead vocals, guitar) and Patrick Carney (drums) kicked off the night with the gritty trifecta “Thickfreakness / The Breaks / I’ll Be Your Man,” setting the tone for what would be a raw and electric performance. The curtain lifted as they roared into “Your Touch,” revealing their incredibly gifted supporting band. From that moment on, The Black Keys were loud, raw, and at their out-and-out best.
Captures + Review by Steve Cerf ( @stevecerf )
After 24 years as a band, picking a setlist comes with the enviable problem of having too many essentials to leave much room for new songs. The talented duo played, to my disappointment, only a couple from No Rain, No Flowers an album I love and had hoped to hear more from. The Akron pair were clearly energized by their newest release, but they jammed mostly with hits from their extensive 13-album catalog.
Midway through the set, they finally hit the tunes I was waiting for. “Man on a Mission,” from No Rain, No Flowers, was a fuzz-drenched masterpiece that had me in awe. A couple of songs later, they launched into the title track, “No Rain, No Flowers,” a pop-rock tune about renaissance through hardship a theme I can personally relate to.
Tied to the hip by the thumping, unrelenting drumming of Patrick Carney, Auerbach brought his talent and passion to every note. The towering Carney looked menacing behind his minimalist rainbow-colored drum kit, pounding away with a sense of crescendos that others bang through with neglect. Auerbach, drenched in pure energy, delivered searing guitar lines with his signature sunglasses masking the soul of his seductive falsetto on songs like “Everlasting Light,” drawing loud cheers from the fan base. The audience erupted at the end of every meticulous number.
They saved the encore for their most beloved hits. “Little Black Submarines” began with Auerbach’s delicate acoustic solo before exploding into a hard-rock peak. They sealed the night with “Lonely Boy,” the garage rock anthem that had the crowd singing long after the lights came up a bluesy, swagger-filled reminder of why The Black Keys remain among the best blues-rock performers in music.
