When The Black Keys canceled their 2024 arena tour, fans were left scratching their heads and clutching their pit tickets. The band had been booked to play L.A.’s cavernous Kia Forum as part of a full-blown stadium push behind their Ohio Players album. But then—poof—the whole thing was quietly scrapped. Rumors swirled about ticket sales, creative changes, and a label recalibration. But no official word ever came. For a minute there, it felt like we might’ve seen the last of Akron’s finest at full tilt.
Lo and behold, Tuesday night at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney stepped out under the pines like two Ohio outlaws who’d spent a year in the shadows sharpening their blades. They were grittier, tighter, meaner, and maybe a little relieved. After all, this was their first L.A. show since 2023, their first-ever gig at the Greek, and the start of something that already feels bigger than any arena campaign could’ve been.
Titling the tour No Rain, No Flowers was more than just a nod to their new track and upcoming album of the same name. After last year’s rain storm, The Black Keys could’ve easily retreated into the studio or, worse, stayed quiet altogether. Instead, they planted something deeper.
Rather than chase the unsold rafters of basketball arenas, they recorded another album and rerouted toward venues with history and soul: Red Rocks in Colorado, the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, Bethel Woods in upstate New York, and now the Greek in L.A. With every stop, the vibe has shifted from damage control to renaissance. These are the flowers, the kind that only bloom when you weather a storm first.
This particular June evening started with some psychedelic sunshine courtesy of The Heavy Heavy. The U.K. openers channeled a stoney mix of flower-child harmony and Stones-y sway.
But once the house lights dimmed and an old-school WTBK intro video rolled, complete with grainy Akron public access footage that looked straight out of a high school AV club, it was clear the Keys were taking control.
The opening volley was for the diehards: “Thickfreakness” > “The Breaks” > “I’ll Be Your Man”, with Dan and Pat jamming together, backed by a single red curtain. No bells. No frills. Just fuzzed-out garage soul howlin’ from the lip of the stage like it was 2003. The crowd, a sea of thirty-somethings and elder millennials who wore out their Rubber Factory CD-Rs back in the day, roared their approval.
Then the curtain dropped and the full band kicked in. “Your Touch” hit like a hammer: loud, grimy, and perfectly unpolished.
From there, it was a run through the modern-era hits. The greasy stomp of “Gold on the Ceiling”, the earworm bounce of “Fever”, and a “Wild Child” that reminded everyone how radio-ready the band still is when they feel like it.
But the real soul of the set came in the deep cuts and the new tunes. “The Night Before”, one of the band’s latest, was smooth and brooding, while “No Rain, No Flowers” delivered on its title with a swelling blues-folk stomp that could’ve easily been mistaken for a long-lost Brothers B-side.
“Too Afraid to Love You” was the proper surprise. The band busted it out live for the first time since 2015. It was as haunting as ever, its retro-futurist keyboard tones slicing through the L.A. night like something from a lost Bond film.
Dan Auerbach was in full control all night, shifting effortlessly from slide-heavy blues to psych-laced shredding. That was especially true on “Weight of Love”, which saw the band take their time building a massive, reverb-drenched crescendo before dissolving into a twin-guitar duet. Meanwhile, Carney kept the train chugging with his signature caveman finesse: no frills, all feel.
By the time the encore rolled in, the crowd was fully converted. “Little Black Submarines” had the entire amphitheater singing along like a dusty church revival, as Dan led the acoustic portion before tagging in the rest of the band for the head-banging finale. To close out, “Lonely Boy” turned the Greek into a full-on dance party.
And when Dan looked out over the crowd and thanked the fans, it was clear that he meant it. There was no industry-speak or label-mandated pep talk here. This was a band that had been humbled, recalibrated, and come out the other side louder, looser, and more human than ever.
For a night that almost didn’t happen (or at least not in this form), The Black Keys’ debut at the Greek Theatre turned into one hell of a redemption song.
No smoke machines or jumbotron gimmicks. Instead, there were two dudes from Ohio, a strong backing band, a stack of amps, and 5,700 Angelenos ready to howl back.
The Black Keys – “Your Touch” – 6/3/25
[Video: Concerts with Katherine]
The Heavy Heavy – “Happiness” – 6/3/25
[Video: John Ziegwied-Front & Center Concert Videos]
Setlist: The Black Keys | Greek Theatre | Los Angeles, CA | 6/3/25
Set: Thickfreakness / The Breaks / I’ll Be Your Man, Your Touch, Gold on the Ceiling, Fever, Wild Child, I Got Mine, Everlasting Light, Next Girl, The Night Before, Lo/Hi, Weight of Love, Too Afraid to Love You [1], Tighten Up, On the Road Again (Canned Heat), No Rain, No Flowers, Heavy Soul, Howlin’ for You, She’s Long Gone
Encore: Little Black Submarines, Lonely Boy
[1] First time live since 2015
