I know that we find ourselves in the “dog days
of summer”, when the only male professional sport going on right now is
baseball, but people are always talking about football. In particular there has
been some chatter about football’s big game in early February and the musical
act which plays half time. One guess as to who will take the stage is Van
Halen. Nothing has been official, but in an official release on the website "Van Halen News Desk" (who knew they had a news desk?), David Lee Roth expressed “That honor has not
been bestowed upon us at this time though it is one we would accept in a NY
minute.”
Personally, I would
not enjoy it in the slightest if Van Halen were given the slot. I believe that
choosing them would be another case of an act from the past that just cannot do
it anymore. Two years ago The Who exemplified this completely. Also, to be
blunt, I just do not like Van Halen. There music just never did anything for
me. Interestingly enough, a member of the band who I believe would be a
satisfying choice for the halftime show holds a similar position. Patrick
Carney the drummer for The Black Keys spoke of Van Halen in an an interview with Rolling Stone's Patrick Doyle and said “I am not a big fan of that music.” In fact
in that same interview he reflected on seeing Van Halen play today, “what the
f*ck is the point?”
Without sounding like the beginning of an English
essay, there are several reasons as to why I believe The Black Keys would the
perfect act to play halftime. First and foremost, they are current. Ever since
their 2010 release Brothers, their
stock has been on the rise. They went from being this indie-blue two person act
to one of the largest acts in music. They continue to play bigger and bigger
shows.
Into those large arenas they bring their signature
sound, which is the second characteristic of theirs which sets them up to play
this big stage. I understand that by picking acts such as Van Halen or The Who,
the NFL is trying to appeal to “Classic Rock” fans, the assumed majority of the
football’s audience. It is my opinion that a classic rock fan would also enjoy
the music of The Black Keys. The Keys
pull from rock’s origin: blues. It the greatest common factor for music. For it
is origin of all music from 1950 onward. But The Black Keys also work modern
innovation into their music. Their latest album El Camino, was produced the modern producing prophet Danger Mouse.
In fact he co-wrote all the songs on the album with the band. He also produced
their 2008 release Attack & Release
and their 2010 song “Tighten Up”. Mouse
aka Brian Joseph Burton , has
worked with modern stars such as Cee Lo Green, James Mercer, and Beck. Together,
Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney form a signature sound which has a classic base
coupled with modern innovation.
The fact that it is only Auerbach and Carney is the
final reason as to why I think they belong right there on the stage; there is
plenty of room for a guest musician to jump and jam with them. One thing that people
love to see happen at half time shows is a surprise musical guest to join the
featured act. Not only are The Black Keys willing to work with someone else in the
studio, it is something they embrace on stage. Two examples from this year come
to mind. Following the passing of Levon Helm, the band invited John Fogerty onto
stage to perform “The Weight” with them in tribute to Helm. Earlier this summer
at the MTV Movie awards, the band was joined by Johnny Depp (scroll down to the bottom of the page to see the performance) to play “Gold On
The Ceiling” and “Lonely Boy”. The possibilities are endless for who could pick
an instrument or mic for a song. Heck, even someone from the “classic rock” era
could join them and appease those may had wanted Van Halen or someone of the
like. The only stipulation would be that they could keep up with The Keys.
Now I have given much consideration as to what an
ideal setlist would be for the band given the venue. Half time shows are just
a little under fifteen minutes, so song selection is important. I feel that the
band should honor the journey it has been on musically and showcase their
growth and change. In no particular order, I feel that the following songs would be best. "I'll Be Your Man" because it comes from their first album and rocks in an eternal fashion. "Your Touch" stands as a measure of the middle of their career. "Tighten Up" was the song broke so big two years ago and brought them to the forefront of modern music. "Gold On The Ceiling rocks all the way through with every instrument present and accounted for. Also, its simple chorus will have the whole stadium singing along. In this hypothetical set-list I am leaving room for a cover. I love seeing band I love from today pull something they love out from yesterday.
I acknowledge that this idea of mine is probably more fantasy than prophecy but it makes an important point: bands from today should be playing they biggest stages of today. We as music fans should honor them in the period in which they rein. Here is a throne for The Black Keys to sit upon.
Please enjoy,
Nick Howard
