“Viva la Dan, Dan’s the Man!”

Back in 2007 I fell in love with music again because of Dan Auerbach. His band, The Black Keys, made rock and roll relevant to a new generation of listeners and music appreciators.

Two years later in November 2009, I saw Auerbach play at The TLA as Dan Auerbach and the Fast Five. At the time I didn’t know that the drummer of that outfit was none other than Patrick Hallahan, the drummer from My Morning Jacket. It’s a testament to the many musical friends Auerbach has in as many places.

Auerbach is at it again — last night he launched into a tidal wave of tunes with his new solo project, The Arcs, to a sold-out crowd at The Fillmore in Fishtown.

 

Auerbach wears many hats: he is a producer, a singer, a songwriter and a ripping guitarist. He works with a wide range of artists, including New Orleans legends like Dr. John and Brooklyn-based rapper  Mos Def (now known as Yasiin Bay). Auerbach’s pushed the  musical envelope by taking risks and melding genres. He always said that The Black Keys’ sound was supposed to be a mix of the guitar licks from one of his idols, blues musician Junior Kimbrough, and the backbeats created by his favorite hip-hop group, The Wu-Tang Clan.

The Arcs is comprised of two drummers sharing one ride cymbal, a keyboard player, a bassist, three mariachi influenced backup singers and Auerbach himself. The sold out crowd chanted “Viva la Dan, Dan is the man!” as he led his band and the crowd through songs from Yours, Dreamily and an EP titled The Arcs vs. The Inventors, which features Dr. John and Los Lobos’ David Hidalgo.

Auerbach is a master of creative marketing, songwriting and stage prowess. The Arcs closed out the night with an encore that included their single, “Stay in My Corner” — a ballad with heavy hitting boxing references that was released on May 2, 2015, which was the night of the Pacquiao/Mayweather fight.

Here are some images The Spirit captured of last night’s performance.