The Brooklyn Paramount doesn’t try to feel historic. It just is.
On May 11, The Black Keys brought the Peaches ‘n Kream World Tour into the newly revived space and turned it into exactly what their music calls for: tight, loud, and built for groove.
Fans packed in early, filling the floor and wrapping around the balconies, giving the room a density that bigger arenas just can’t replicate. The Black Keys fans should be happy that their arena tour didn’t pan out years ago, because it brought a series of intimate club shows that we wouldn’t have seen otherwise.
Formed in Akron, Ohio, The Black Keys have spent the last two decades stretching their sound outward, but nights like this bring it right back to the core. It still comes down to Dan Auerbach up front with the guitar and Patrick Carney behind the kit, keeping things simple without ever feeling small.
Miles Kane opened the night with a no-frills rock set that got the room moving fast. Kane was able to captivate the room as you’d expect a British rocker inspired by the likes of Queen and Oasis to do.
The Keys wasted no time settling in, opening with a medley of “Thickfreakness,” “The Breaks,” and “I’ll Be Your Man,” and quickly pushing into early cuts like “Your Touch,” “Heavy Soul,” and “I Got Mine.” Auerbach played it loose, letting the guitar do most of the talking, while Carney locked into a steady rhythm that kept everything driving forward.
This tour, built around the Peaches cover era, leans more into groove than grit — but live, the balance works. “Gold on the Ceiling” and “Tighten Up” hit with the biggest reactions of the night, the kind of songs that don’t need buildup. They just land. “Everlasting Light” and “Howlin’ for You” slowed things just enough to reset the pace before the set pushed forward again.
Later on, the show dipped back into their blues roots. “You Got to Lose” and “Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire” stripped things down, bringing a rawer feel into a set that otherwise leans polished.
By the encore, the room felt fully locked in. “Little Black Submarines” built from quiet to loud the way it always does, before “It Is So Nice to Get Stoned” and “Lonely Boy” closed things out with the energy still climbing.
If anything stood out, it’s how well this tour fits rooms like Brooklyn Paramount. The added musicians give the songs more dimension, but the setting keeps it grounded. Nothing about it feels oversized or overproduced.
That balance is what makes this version of The Black Keys work. Not just a throwback to what they were, and not a full shift into something new — just a band that knows exactly how to meet a room like this and fill it the right way.
Note: The cover photo is from the May 7 show at the Capitol Theater, not the May 11 show at the Paramount.
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