Last night seemed to mark the beginning of music season here in Austin. Granted, some will argue SXSW is that tipping point to flag the beginning of better weather and more music. And while I have seen a couple of great shows already (notably Gomez, which I forgot to post about), yesterday evening was overrun with choices in every genre. J5, Word Association, Dr. John, Spillar, the list goes on and would be longer if the Austin Chronicle would allow me to search music listings for last night.
Limited websites aside, I do know who was playing at Emo’s, and that would be the Black Keys. For those unfamiliar, as I was not that long ago, the Black Keys play rock/blues that is just plain dirty and they fill up the sonic spectrum solely with a drum kit and distorted guitar. The stage at Emo’s never felt empty with only the two guys either. The club was packed and the energy was incredible. If you like blues, if you like Hendrix or Cream or early punk, if you like the way any of them did the blues, if you like taking blues and pushing it out the door with rock, if you don’t mind the exclusion of the bass guitar, if you love recordings and performances that might lack high fidelity but just ooze with soul and feeling, I highly recommend you pick up the albums (start with thickfreakness).