Photo courtesy MCT Campus

As the guitar-playing and singing half of the blues-infused rock duo the Black Keys, Dan Auerbach is used to singlehandedly carrying the melody during a performance. His solo debut Keep It Hid and the March 7 concert at First Avenue in Minneapolis were his chance to step out of the spare drum-and-guitars attack of the Black Keys in search of more melody and soul.

The Black Keys’ latest album, Attack and Release, showed signs that Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney wanted to expand their sound palette. It was bound to happen, after four albums consisting of only guitar and drums. However, something about the album felt a bit off—I  wanted more raw, lo-fi wailing. So it made sense to me to hear more sonic exploration coming from Dan Auerbach’s solo album, Keep It Hid, released this February.

Because I had not been to a concert since August, I was itching for some loud guitars and flashing lights and felt very content walking into First Avenue. A packed crowd was already milling about as the opener, Those Darlins, began. Although they were a bit like a gimmick band, they were self-aware enough not to let their odd lyrics and honky-tonk monotony get old. They weren’t something I would go out of my way to listen to, but they were definitely entertaining and held my interest.

The second band, Hacienda, was a perfect fit for the show. Hacienda played blues rock with a clear southern influence, but managed to have a sound distinct from the other bands of the night. With the exception of some spotty vocals by their bassist, they sounded tightly rehearsed, and I was definitely excited to hear them perform behind Auerbach.

Then Auerbach took the stage, and the mood of the room changed immediately. Having seen the Black Keys twice, I am accustomed to being immediately pummeled by Auerbach’s untouchably heavy guitar tone and Carney’s furious drumming, so it was off-putting but enjoyable to have the show start with the slow, finger-picked ballad “Trouble Weighs a Ton.” Auerbach’s amazing voice was on full display here, a feature that one can sometimes miss while listening to the Black Keys.

Then the full band lit up the room when it started the stomping, fuzzed-out, riff-oriented “I Want Some More.” The show was perfect—the sound was perfect, the lights were perfect and the band was perfect. I preferred the more rocking songs of the night—the slow soulful songs were great, too, but I think I was pining to hear the Black Keys. Indeed, the best parts of the show were those that came closest to emulating the energy of the Black Keys. These songs left me enthralled but hoping that Auerbach will come back to the cities with Carney in the near future—or maybe the big concert at Gustavus? Think about it.