While music constantly keeps evolving and expanding the horizons of fruitful melodies and joyful lyrics, we music fans open the doors to a greater variety of emerging artists that have become a stellar household name, which often dominates the musical fortress of rock radio that can often turn out to be a great band worth giving a CD or two a full throttle spin before a live concert experience.
Despite the fact that these two bands have a different fan base and their music styles easily flips coins, it was such an amazing pleasure to sit center stage during the performances of Cage The Elephant and The Black Keys in Philadelphia at the Wells Fargo Center rounding out the month of September.
Certainly a big ticket drawling crowd with traffic bending around the corners of the venue and everyone in super party mode with grills going in the parking lots and the beers flowing, this was going to be a great show even before the venue got to a peak sell out.
Perhaps the best way to see any arena show is general admission style crammed as close to the stage as possible to not only feel the vibration of the drum beats under one’s feet but to experience first-hand the whole live experience of these two bands can only be expressed as nothing short of greatness.
Opening the whole evening first up Cage the Elephant broke into a great set of songs many featured from all three albums under their belts getting the fans all worked up while Matt Schultz got his groove on stomping around the stage at one moment during one of their biggest hits “In One Ear “decided to crowd surf for a brief segment during the show. Cage The Elephant has great stage presence and bountiful energy as they performed a long list of songs captivating a forty five minute grand set that included “Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked”, and “ Shake Me Down”.
Of course like any direct support artist, the only person well lit up was Matt Schultz with occasional spotty lights spread over the rest of the band still, Cage The Elephant had the fans on their feet swaying to every song early on in their great set.
After a short intermission, the stage was set for The Black Keys to take over at Wells Fargo Center and deliver nothing but a stellar live show. With only being familiar with certain key songs that have earned this band a wide variety of fans, The Black Keys shined throughout their entire set with a compelling set of songs from every stitch of songs lesser known to the extreme popularity of hit makers all combined in one fantastic evening worth of entertainment. For a rock duo with a backing band, The Black Keys not just perform they entertain a well-rounded concert experience. Their stage dressed in a simple production complete with an array of brilliant LED lights and flashing strobes surrounded by video screens projecting imagery in HDR quality sometimes mixing different segments of the bands’ stage accessible cameras. The Black Keys have earned themselves a tapestry of multifaceted hits along their way as a band.
The twenty one stellar set featured the five hit makers that put The Black Keys in the pool of popularity of bands that have come a long way in the shortest period of time showcasing their sheer song writing abilities and deep creativity that makes this band simply great. Definitely not often to catch a rising band perform an arena sized rock show captivating the hits that rocked radio way before this band blew up and earned themselves platinum status.
Certainly a great addition to anyone’s concert resume’ rounding out a great summer of shows here in Philadelphia with The Black Keys.
Black Keys Set List:
Dead and Gone
Next Girl
Run Right Back
Same Old Thing
Gold on the Ceiling
Strange Times
Nova Baby
Leavin’ Trunk
Too Afraid to Love You
Howlin’ for You
A Girl Like You
Money Maker
Gotta Get Away
She’s Long Gone
Fever
Tighten Up
Your Touch
Lonely Boy
Encores:
Weight of Love
Turn Blue
Little Black Submarines
