WTF DAN?!!! PAT???? MY TWO WORLDS ARE COLLIDING!
Well ever since I knew that Dan Auerbach and Joe Walsh (The Eagles, Solo work) were homies, it made me feel like all was right with the world knowing that they liked to collaborate in studio together. When Dan and Joe played around together at Easy Eye Sound studio (Dan's studio in Nashville), both musicians got to discussing how much they were both influenced by Glenn Schwartz (the guitarist of The James Gang....the band that Joe Walsh used to be in). Dan even said that working with one of his idols (Joe Walsh) was the inspiration behind him reuniting w/ Patrick Carney for another album! He said : "It was just that little nudge I needed. Right after that session I called Pat and we put it on the books."
This entire album "Let's Rock" is pretty much a tribute to Glenn Schwartz, so this is just an amazing full circle moment with Joe Walsh on stage w/ TBK last night in LA!
Dan and Pat and co. welcomed the legendary Joe Walsh three-quarters of the way through their set.
The Black Keys kicked things off with “I Got Mine” from their 2008 album Attack And Release. They then turned to their 2019 album Let’s Rock for “Eagle Birds.” The band relied heavily on new material during the set including “Fire Walk With Me,” “Walk Across The Water” and “Tell Me Lies.” They would also deliver favorites like “Gold On The Ceiling,” “Fever” and “Tighten Up.”
After “Your Touch,” the Keys welcomed Walsh for a song called “Water Street” which, according to Setlist.FM, was a debut for the band. While it may have been a first for the Black Keys, Auerbach performed the song with Walsh and original The James Gang guitarist Glenn Schwartz, who wrote the song, at Coachella in 2016 with Auerbach’s solo project The Arcs. An interesting sidenote, both Walsh and Schwartz attended Kent State University where The James Gang formed. There is a mural in Kent, Ohio at the Water Street Tavern featuring Walsh.
\Joe would stay on for “She’s Long Gone” from The Black Keys’ 2010 album Brothers. The band closed out the set with “Lonely Boy.” The Keys would come back out for a three-song encore of Let’s Rock singles “Lo/Hi,” and “Go” as well as the El Camino classic “Little Black Submarines” to close out the evening. Check out video of the Joe Walsh sit-in captured by Cameron Shepler below:
****Also BELOW check out my interview w/ Patrick Carney where we discuss Glenn Schwartz and The James Gang!****