Song: “10 a.m. Automatic”
A massively successful duo survives controversy with a 2024 tour
Hailing from Akron, OH, the Black Keys began making music in 2001. Consisting of childhood friends Dan Auerbach (guitar and vocals) and Patrick Carney (drums), the duo dropped out of college to pursue music.
The Black Keys went on to win a half-dozen Grammy Awards, one Brit Award, and one MTV Music Award. They’ve also enjoyed commercial success, including #1 songs, chart-topping albums, and stadium tours . . . until in 2024, when they quietly canceled a 31-date tour scheduled to kick off at Madison Square Garden and Los Angeles’ Kia Forum. Speculation swirled around weak ticket sales.
They weren’t alone during what one industry observer dubbed “The Summer of the Mysteriously Flopping Arena Tours,” with Charlie XCX and Jennifer Lopez among a slate of artists seeing three-figure ticket pricing backfire. As Carney said at the time, “We got fucked. I’ll let you all know how so it doesn’t happen to you. Stay tuned.” The band fired their managers, rescheduled shows to smaller venues, and is currently on tour again across medium-sized venues. They headlined Red Rocks in May, then jetted off for a European leg before returning to the US for more.
“10 a.m. Automatic” is from the duo’s 2004 album, Rubber Factory. The music video is intentionally grainy, purporting to be from a public access channel studio broadcast. It features a rabbi (played by Jon Glaser) reading to a passive elderly audience. When the rabbi introduces the Black Keys, things don’t improve. But the song is amazing.
Enjoy!