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The Black Keys are a blues rock duo from Akron, Ohio made up of Dan Auerbach on guitar and vocals and Patrick Carney on drums. Forming in 2001, they gained popularity with their gritty, stripped-back sound inspired by blues legends of the past. Over a decade of hard work and determination saw them rise from humble basement recordings to arena-filling rock stars winning multiple Grammys.
“This is a Film About the Black Keys” takes fans behind the scenes of their journey. Following Auerbach and Carney from their chance meeting to global fame, it shares intimate details of their music and rocky relationship through interviews and never-before-seen footage. We learn how they survived lean early years on indie labels through relentless touring. Major success finally came with 2010’s “Brothers,” catching the attention of mainstream audiences.
Yet for all the triumphs, it came at a cost. The pressure took a toll on their personal lives and ability to communicate. At their highest points, they were at each other’s throats. The film delves into these tensions but leaves some questions unanswered. How did they overcome their issues to record again after a long hiatus? And what drives them to keep creating music together after all these years and hardships? Fans are given a candid look inside the band, even if it doesn’t reveal all the answers about what makes these masters of their craft tick.
Raising Two Blues Brothers
For nearly 25 years, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney have made music as the blues rock duo The Black Keys. Beginning with basement recordings in Akron, Ohio and gradual success on indie labels, their hard-won journey brought struggles with fame documented in This Is a Film About the Black Keys.
Directed by Jeff Dupre, the 90-minute film had its premiere at SXSW ’24. Opening with Auerbach and Carney’s unlikely partnership despite attending the same high school, it follows their travels paying dues. Early breaks came through energetic touring and albums gaining devotees of their vintage sound, yet success remained elusive for years as music remained a passionate yet precarious living.
Bumps arose predictably when acclaim for Brothers exploded mainstream. We see the natural ebb and flow of collaboration tested by fatigue and fame-fueled tension, leading to a prolonged hiatus. But a mutual love of playing compelled their reunion, wiser from weathered partnership. Now respected figures, Auerbach and Carney’s enduring creative commitment shines through a relationship proven as sturdy as the songs cementing their legacy.
The Garage Rock Grit
They started in obscure Ohio basements, honing their sound together on diluted budgets and scrappy gear. Carney had a tape recorder from his teenage years and Auerbach a worn guitar he learned from his musician family. Neither studied music but bonded over favorite bluesmen like Burnside, men who forged art from life’s hardships.
In 2001 Akron, they sought like spirits and found each other. Carney taped a session for Auerbach’s band until only the two remained, realizing their instincts aligned. Taking the moniker Black Keys from a friend’s epithet, their name reflected the outsider’s edge to their early grind. Self-releasing cassettes and playing self-booked dives, they risked all without a parachute, driven to vent souls through strings and skins.
Word spread through the scene of their raw talents, attracting the ears of indie labels covetous of authenticity. Fat Possum especially saw the value in their unvarnished approach, a pure channel for emotion without tricks or shine. Touring in thrifted vans, they brought their blues-hued rock to any stage offering space, strengthen bonds while witnessing support grow steadily market by market. Meeting heroes like Burnside stoked their fire higher.
By determination and dual conviction, the Keys unlocked steps upward though maintaining underground roots. Their initial craft incorporated what influence seeped in from the hard-living icons that informed them. From below origins and of their own grit, Dan and Pat incubated a sound destined to achieve rarified light.
Black Keys’ Blues
Patrick Carney was always the more talkative one, speaking out about whatever was on his mind, for better or worse. Dan Auerbach preferred to keep to himself, expressing what he felt through his songwriting and guitar playing.
Where Carney was an extrovert, Auerbach reflected an inner world. Their personalities pulled them in opposing directions even as their musical chemistry pushed them together.
Without a third party to mediate, tension could simmer between the two. This became clear during one early tour. At a soundcheck, Carney fumed that the mix was off with no sign of his partner. Meanwhile, Auerbach was occupied elsewhere – happily shopping for a vintage jacket in the nearby town.
When it came time for the show, the issue went unaddressed. Both men stood backstage, unified on stage but divided in their private communications. Frustrations had grown where feelings went unsaid.
Over the years, such divergences took their toll. Misunderstandings festered without direct discussions. Extended breaks became necessary just to gain perspective alone.
Yet for all their difficulties openly expressing cares and cares, when the moment came to make music, Auerbach and Carney connected on a deeper level. Through ups and downs, their bond of creativity persevered – a partnership that channeled feelings too raw to share through any other means. Some relationships are meant for the studio more than the sofa. Theirs found harmony in both.
Steady Rolling With Dynamite
They started small, cutting their teeth playing any venue that would have them. Auerbach and Carney bonded over a shared love of bluesy guitar licks and steady rhythms. While their early albums drew praise from critics, packing crowds into clubs was another matter. Undaunted, the duo hit the road.
Year after year found them logging miles in worn vans, sleeping in unfamiliar beds and bringing their sound to any audience willing to listen. Slowly but steadily, fans multiplied with each stop on their non-stop touring. Word-of-mouth and positive reviews of albums like “The Big Come Up” kept attracting more listeners. Meanwhile, Carney kept their operation running smoothly behind the scenes.
By the late 2000s, their dedication had begun to pay off on a wider scale. “Attack & Release” saw them working with hitmaker Danger Mouse and brought greater recognition. But it was 2010’s “Brothers” that proved their mainstream breakthrough. Soulful rockers and gritty grooves reached a far larger fanbase, snagging Grammys and festival spots. As arena shows became the norm, pressure grew to keep pleasing the crowds.
Success brought its own challenges. Both men grappled with the demands of life on the road and its effect on personal relationships. While grateful for their loyal following, they also desired greater creative freedom without risking that loyalty. Securing an independent spirit as the machine around them grew ever larger would be their ongoing struggle. But ten years on from “Brothers,” Auerbach and Carney have endured through talent, trust in each other and a shared commitment to their musical vision.
The Toll of Stardom
Reaching the pinnacle of success often comes with hidden costs. For The Black Keys, the relentless grind of touring and recording took its toll on personal lives as band stresses mounted. Both Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney’s first marriages fell victim to the all-consuming career demands. With little time for intimacy, the relationships buckled under the strain.
As the profile of The Black Keys skyrocketed, internal tensions grew. Their divergent personalities had always caused disagreements, but rising fame magnified every conflict. Unable to discuss difficulties openly, resentments festered below the surface. Turning to alcohol and drugs to numb the pressures, the band members found temporary escape yet bred deeper troubles. Communication broke down entirely as substance abuse clouded judgement.
The breaking point arrived during a five year gap between albums. A shocking truth emerged – Carney and Auerbach barely spoke for three of those years. While their dedicated fans waited eagerly for new music, the duo lived virtually separate lives. Auerbach even went so far as to record a solo album covertly, a betrayal forming yet another rift.
It seemed The Black Keys empire had driven them irrevocably apart. But their passion for music refused to die. A simple text message hinting at their Ohio roots gradually rebuilt fragile bridges. Together again in the studio, the old magic resurfaced, even if personal ghosts lingered. Their bond survived where many celebrity unions crumble. An hard-won lesson had been learned – no amount of wealth and glory can replace the relationships that ground us.
Musical Bonds and Bitter Notes
The documentary dwells on the partnership between Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney, tracing their friendship from sidewalk musicians to major rock stars. While offering a glimpse into their creative process, it largely steers clear of more troublesome periods. Viewers learn of strife straining their relationship but are left wanting more insight into exact troubles.
Specifically, the film acknowledges Carney’s divorces in a superficial manner without examining impact on him or band. Auerbach’s secret solo album also deepened a rift, yet the movie provides scant details on fallout. More seriously, Carney’s legal woes disappear without mention at all. These glaring omissions leave gaps in fully understanding their complex journey.
Also curious is the lack of assessing their place in modern rock. Having endured for over twenty years, their sound clearly resonated but we gain little sense of lasting artistic statement. The ending retains an upbeat note about their partnership but conveniently avoids asking if similar discord may resurface.
A broader context from outsider views could have offered fresh perspectives too. While their retrospective offers an enjoyable tour, a few franker Producer decisions would have strengthened rather than weakened this examination of dynamic duos. Ultimately, some promising lines of inquiry end with lingering questions rather than fulfilling resolutions.
The Long Road of Brothers
From their days cutting demos in dirt basements to headlining arenas worldwide, few bands have endured what Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney have as The Black Keys. This film spans their partnership of over two decades, but as any lifelong relationship will show, the road traveled was never straight.
We witness the highs of breakout success with albums like Brothers and lows when global fame strains their friendship to its limits. Through it all, their reverence for blues and soul remains, as does the magic they create together in any space with an empty tape. Beneath brassy exteriors lies a soulful simplicity that has endeared countless fans.
Yet for all its archival gems and interviews with allies like Beck, some chapter are left untold. Filling gaps might have deepened our understanding of the tolls incurred. At its core though, this remains a heartfelt tribute to two musical brothers who against all chances found harmony in discord. Their journey reminds that relationships, like the best art, evolve through resilience in overcoming life’s harshest lessons. Some bonds just refuse to break.
The Review
This Is a Film About the Black Keys
While not reaching its full potential, This Is A Film About The Black Keys offers an intimate look at the unbreakable bond between two talented artists. As a chronicle of Auerbach and Carney's journey from basement jams to the big stage, it hits the right emotional notes for fans.
PROS
- Features never-before-seen archival footage of the band's early days
- Insightful interviews that provide depth into Auerbach and Carney's relationship
- Captures the grit, perseverance and pays homage to the band's legacy
CONS
- Fails to address some personal challenges the band faced more recently
- Lacks critical analysis and outside perspective on the band's influence
- Feels like a promotional piece at times over a fully objective documentary
