Indianapolis' Patio had a good atmosphere for a concert. A small, dark club filled to nowhere near capacity. The crowd was a mixture of randoms coming out for a good time, locals supporting their friends in the bands and people who know not to miss a good show when they hear about one. \nFirst up were the Impossible Shapes, a four-piece band that hails from Bloomington and rocks harder than any band you'll ever hear at Jammin' on Walnut. With a recently changed lineup, singer Chris Barth says they sound "much sexier now." They played an electrifying set of mostly originally material off of their new album, with a cover song thrown in here and there. Their songs are a blend of crafty melodies, pop chord progressions and raw talent. After seeing this opener I felt that the $5 charge to get into the show was well spent.\nThen the second band, America Owns the Moon, came on. Needless to say, by the end of its set, I wanted my $5 back. That's not really fair, the band was alright, and it certainly enjoyed the largest local following, but something was missing from its set, besides my interest. The band seemed to push itself on the audience a bit, almost like it had something to prove. America Owns the Moon has played with the Black Keys before, and after talking with the members, seemed more than a little jealous about still being an opening band for the main attraction. \nThe Black Keys are not famous. They don't act famous, or pretend that they are. Before their set, they can be found at the back of the bar watching the openers, hauling in their equipment and drinking beer like everyone else. Their sound is a fusion of rock, funk and bluegrass mixed together with a generous helping of the blues. \nThey opened their set with "Busted," a fast-paced exercise in the fundamentals of the blues. The duo consists of Dan Auerbach on guitar/vocals and Patrick Carney on a tiny drumset. Their stage presence is unassuming and has yet to be refined. These boys from Akron, Ohio, prove that it doesn't take much equipment or flash to make a great show. \nThe band steamrolled through their set, playing songs off of its album, The Big Come Up, then gave the audience a glimpse of things to come with "Thick Freakness," the title track from a forthcoming album, due out in April on Fat Possum Records. Later, they rocked a stripped down version of the Beatles tune, "She Said, She Said."\nThe Black Keys don't talk to the audience much, or even look at it for that matter. Auerbach sings with his eyes shut tight, and it's apparent that this band doesn't play for your benefit, but for their own. Fine by me, as long as they keep playing. In the end, the Black Keys left the Patio as they found it, with the diminished audience pumped up and wanting more.
- Jessica Palmer
