The Black Keys: "Little Black Submarines" @ Lolla 2012

Juke Box Hero has the first crack at a Lolla wrap-up. He'll be back tomorrow with more. So, who impressed you?

Though I was at least in the same country this year, I missed Lollapalooza, yet again. Thank you, Northern Virginia Swimming League, for (albeit always) scheduling your All-Star meet during the first weekend in August. But no matter. The shows went on: Minds young and old were blown, faces taut and wrinkly melted, eardrums big and small – shattered. Though I rejoice with the veterans, those who can afford “that rock-and-roll lifestyle” year after year, my heart soars for the young ‘uns, the rock concert virgins experiencing amazing bands live for the first time.

I’ve long since released my hipster hold on Akron’s other superstar entity, the titanic blues-rock banshees Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney of The Black Keys. I’m happy they’ve become so successful, truly I am, because they seem to have let most of it roll off their rugged denim and screen-print T-shirted backs while continuing to just crank out f*cking sweet, gritty, blistering jams. And they’re the main reason my 13-year-old cousin and her friend convinced the friend’s dad to escort them from northern Indiana up the coast to Chicago this past weekend. They wanted to see the Keys. Not the Bieb, not the Swift, not even the Flo (no offense, Ms. Welch) – the Keys. There may be hope for America’s youth.

A solid clip of their full set doesn’t seem to be available yet, so we’ll temporarily settle for the “Stairway to Heaven” of Dan & Pat’s oeuvre, “Little Black Submarines.” The slow-fast section contrast is as good as any IN MUSIC and the live guitar change (what’s the first one made of? Copper? Nickel? Dan & Pat’s old fillings?) both adds to the suspense and takes the payoff over the edge. The crowd just erupts. Can Sabbath do that? Anymore? Ever?

Now, I’m no blind disciple: I’ll be the first to tell the boys they too often rush like Rush in a live setting. And the “dogfight” here is no exception – I don’t need a live version identical to the recording, but the Lolla audience didn’t shell out just to see them blaze through a track that could’ve lasted even 30 seconds longer by holding back the tempo and letting the blues benevolently dictate some further soulful head-nodding.

But I’ll forgive you, D & P. You’ve done a great service in the community. Thank you for popping thousands of little boys’ and girls’ concert cherries. I’ll be seeing you.