The Black Keys – The Mohawk/The Mog Party

Back at the Mog Party, where two hours earlier Broken Bells had The Mohawk packed to the gills on every level, the venue become even more crowded for the sole SXSW appearance by Ohio’s The Black Keys. Fans crammed into every corner and platform, craned their necks to see a glimpse four people behind railings, and in many cases, were even peering over fences from adjacent buildings. And for good reason, as The Black Keys’ drummer Patrick Carney and guitarist/singer Dan Auerbach rocked the freezing crowd with finesse and bluesy swagger. Delving deep into their blues-heavy sound, Auerbach rarely overplayed his guitar, opting for driving melodic riffs. Carney can swing with the best of them, his fluid and nuanced playing on par with that of Charlie Watts. Just like the MWTX party, Mog had a real cool exclusive nabbing this band for their only performance of the week (even Danger Mouse and James Mercer were visible on the side of the stage). That band is poised for greatness, and odds are, they’ll find themselves in the arena-filling status that Kings of Leon and My Morning Jacket are just inching to now in the next year or two.