Written by Krysta Ayers / Photos by Erick Hernandez
📍Moody Amphitheater — June 7, 2025
As the intro to The Black Keys’ song, “The Breaks,” goes, “Gee, this is the most wonderful thing I ever heard in all my life”—and that’s how hearing the band play to a full amphitheater sounded. The duo comprising Patrick Carney and Dan Auerbach stopped for their No Rain, No Flowers tour and blessed us with a trail mix setlist of their discography to a loud crowd representing every era of The Black Keys.
With a punch to the ears, the Ohio natives revived long-time favorites like, “Gold on the Ceiling,” “Your Touch,” “Next Girl,” and “Howlin’ For You.” Not exactly in that order. But Auerbach’s voice was crystalline and sharp through the speakers. Every word sang with a genuine comfort, familiarity, and gusto. Carney’s drums, as always, were the heartbeat of every song. The bass and kick drum played up the emotions and energy of each track—and prompted each foot tap and head nod.
True to the style of seasoned professionals in the rock genre (as I’ve witnessed several times already this year), they played straight through their massive catalog of songs in favor of performing an extra song or two rather than banter or fiddle around for any amount of time between songs. Or that’s what I would like to think the banter gets nixed for at these shows. Either way, the experience of watching these musicians as they do their “job” of performing hit singles and B-side favorites, hits you like a cymbal in the head, reverberating sweet sweet rock n’ roll.
The back half of the setlist included the newest release from the band’s upcoming album of the same name, “No Rain, No Flowers,” which is set to release on August 8. It is more “mature” than the older material, with music that sounds less bravado and more serious. More classic rock than cool, blues-inspired grooves. They play it up louder than the studio recording, maybe in an attempt to match the energy of the show thus far, but as with many crowds hearing a newer release (or their least-favorite) song, they deflated until the next record, “Heavy Soul,” started playing.
For the rest of the show, the sound was gratifyingly raucous—the quintessential vibe for an outdoor concert from one of this generation’s most recognizable and undoubtedly talented bands.
Fired up to ask for an encore, the amphitheater became a chorus of cheers. Slowly, with the ease and unhurried pace of a pro, the band came back on to send us off with “Little Black Submarines,” and “Lonely Boy”—again, a perfect choice for the energy at the end of the night. Anyone with assigned seats was standing, and all the lawn ticket holders jumped up as well. We were all (excited, happy!) lonely boys with a love that was keeping us waiting…to sing along, to clap, to rejoice in a favorite band as a community—and to get the fuck out because rock n’ roll does have an end time in the city.