When Dan Auerbach rolls into Cleveland, folks show up.  The Beachland Ballroom was sold out and packed to the gills with a brilliant cross section of our fair city’s cognoscenti; the bearded flannel wearers were out, as were the mulleted guitar freaks.  Those lucky enough to squeeze in (legitimately or less so, more on that later) were treated to a stellar triple bill featuring not only Mr. Auerbach, but, also, much ballyhooed punk-country songbirds Those Darlins and rootsy blues rockers Hacienda.  I’m sitting to write this 18 hours after the show ended and my right ear is still ringing; I imagine Cleveland’s offices were filled with bleary-eyed scenesters struggling to hear their co-workers mumbles on Friday.  (I said “What?” or “Huh?” approximately 1400 times today.)

Those Darlins opened the evening with an energetic set composed of material from their EP, Wild One, and some newer material that, we hope, will be included on their upcoming LP.  The Beachland was already fairly full and bubbling with energy for the set, which did not disappoint.  Those Darlins work within the spectrum of country music, with a distinct twang and southern sensibility.  However, songs like “Wild One” and “I Ate the Whole Damn Thing” come across great live, revealing the punky underbelly of the band more than the recorded material does.  On stage, the trio (or quartet, because it feels weird to leave out the drummer just because he’s a dude) is a smear of frenetic energy; they present, almost, as a punk band, pogoing and preening through the songs. (I didn’t post a photo of the third Darlin, because she didn’t stand still long enough for me to get anything resembling a clear picture.)  While the familiar material was great, it was the new stuff that really piqued our ears.  “DUI” and another track that I (stupidly) failed to record a name for owed a huge debt to The Ramones; the song that I can’t name might be so titularly slippery because I was humming “Rockaway Beach” under my breath the whole time.  These songs were awesome, absolute kicks in the teeth.  If “DUI,” a deeply rocking and hilarious song about the perils of driving drunk (“If you’re going to drink and drive, you better find a boy to take you home for the night.”) is included on the upcoming album, it will immediately become one of my favorite songs on record in 2009.  Given our geography and Auerbach’s stature, the early crowd was probably in the house to get their spots up close secure, but Those Darlins were a treat for the early arrivers.  They are not to be missed for the duration of the tour.

Hacienda fills an interesting role on this tour.  They’re playing a set of their own material and acting as Auerbach’s backing band.  The quartet, composed of three brothers and their cousin, tore through pretty direct bluesy rock tracks, highlighting some clever guitar work from Dante Schwebel (more on him later).  He pulled out several gorgeous axes, including a rosewood Telecaster that got Kevin’s attention immediately, and spent the set lacing the songs with sweet fills and clever solos.  There was a ton of organ holding the tracks down and the harmonies were stellar; when all four of these dudes were singing, it brought an idyllic, campfire-like vibe to the proceedings.  They shifted the tenor of the room from Those Darlins’ roiling countrified freak energy to a slightly more introspective, but still bruising, rock vibe.  They got the crowd well primed for Auerbach.

Northeast Ohio’s fanaticism for our own is well documented; we love Brady Quinn and Michael Stanley (and others), in large part, because they’re from around here.  The Black Keys have the distinction of being both wildly talented and local.  When Auerbach took the stage, it was elbow to asshole in the Beachland.  You were not stepping out for a beer or a whiz and getting your spot back.  (Side note to illustrate the levels we’ll go to to catch this guy live:  Our good friend, who will remain anonymous, didn’t get a ticket in time.  He rubbed a cigarette butt on the back of his hand to simulate a stamp and glided into the venue unscathed; based on the size of the crowd, he can’t have been the  only illegal entrant.  His long time motto: Walk don’t talk and if you get caught, act stupid.)  Auerbach had to know that the crowd was ready to lean into some rock, but chose to start with the quietly beautiful “Trouble Weighs a Ton.”  He and Schwebel shared a mic for the vocals and layed down a blanket of cool and mellow to start things off.  I was expecting a punch to the groin to start the show, but it was a shrewd maneuver to start with softer stuff.   After that track, Auerbach and company kicked it into high gear and didn’t look back until the encore.  It was song after song of pummeling precussion and howling blues riffs.

Auerbach’s reputation as a grade-A shredder is well documented and his chops were on display tonight.  You could feel the crowd surge when he stepped on a pedal, leaned back and laid into a solo.  Instances of guitar acrobatics were plentiful and tasty.  Interestingly, he laid back in the cut on a few songs in the middle of the set, opting to let Schwebel solo while he played rhythm.  For me, it showed his willingness to give to and highlight other musicians.  If you think about the number of bands the Keys have thrown the spotlight on over the years, this makes complete sense.  It reminded me that musicians are fans of music too, which was cool.

The coolest move of the night might have been breaking out a cover that was cooler than everybody present; I won’t pretend like I recognized it and I didn’t hear his introduction of the track because I was half deaf already.  It was one of those moves that serves notice that Dan Auerbach owns more records than you do, but the song was amazing.  It featured all of Hacienda on backing vocals and a bouncing rockabilly beat.  (If you know what it was, hit the comments, we’ll give you your propers.)  Other highlights of the evening were standouts from the new record, most notably “Streetwalkin.”  That song is great in the studio, but live Auerbach finds another gear, shouting the lyrics and pounding the hell out of the solos.  The album’s title track was also a revelation live.  These songs are great on the record, but on stage Auerbach brings a ton of power and skill to the table; things translate live differently than they do on record.  You could argue that Auerbach’s fascination with antiquated recording equipment is an effort to capture the wispy and elusive majesty of his live shows.  It’s a noble pursuit, but dude crushes on stage and that might always be the case.

Overall, this was a great triple bill.  They’re on the road together for a bit longer, so snag your tix if you haven’t already.  As a last little enticement, My Morning Jacket’s thundergodish drummer, Patrick Callahan, is filling in on the tour.  His arty and capacious manipulation of bongos, castanets and the biggest triangle you’ll ever see are worth the price of admission on their own.

Grab Dan Auerbach at Insound (not intended as a double entendre).

Get yourself some Hacienda at Insound (ditto).

Score with Those Darlins at Insound (that one was offensive, I’m sorry).