Big venues, small approaches (and turnout)

Arena blues: When I told friends about my destination last Tuesday night—the Black Keys concert at Sleep Train Arena—I got a lot of initially excited responses. Like, “Awesome! Love the Black Keys!” followed quickly by, “Wait, arena? Really?”

The Ohio-born duo of guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney did, indeed, pack Sleep Train on election night. But for some reason, the casual listener doesn’t think of the Keys as being arena-level famous.

It all arguably started with the band’s sixth record, Brothers, which nabbed the Keys three Grammy Awards. The 2011 follow-up, El Camino, went platinum in the United States and double-platinum in Australia, New Zealand and Canada, winning a few Grammys as well. The band’s latest release, Turn Blue, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Many credit this dramatic rise to the Keys’ partnership with producer Danger Mouse, which started in 2008. But the band’s sound hasn’t exactly stayed stagnant since then, either. Turn Blue saw the Keys enter psychedelic territory in a subdued fashion—groove-driven, thematic, cohesive and devoid of any real hit singles. Rolling Stone called it the band’s best yet.

Fans were definitely stoked, and the set was filled with hopelessly catchy, crowd-pleasing hits—“Gold on the Ceiling,” “Howlin’ For You,” “Everlasting Light,” “Tighten Up”—and even brought out the band’s debut album with “Leavin’ Trunk.” My favorite song all night was the grungy, slightly psychedelic “Strange Times” off Attack & Release, a welcomed break in pace. The audience’s favorite was, obviously, the Keys’ smash hit “Lonely Boy.”

It was the perfect high-inducing song to end on. But then the Keys came back for a strange encore with two slow-burning tracks off Turn Blue. The high dissipated, slightly salvaged by an acoustic-to-electric version of “Little Black Submarines.”

Auerbach didn’t say much beyond “Thank you” and “Come on, Sacramento” a couple times. There were lights and some video—mostly blue-tinted, obviously—but the biggest visual effect was merely a curtain falling down. To reveal, ahem, more lights.

Despite achieving that arena level, the Black Keys do not make a great arena band. Arena rock in general is just so boring unless you’re standing front-and-center. No matter how great the music sounded, arena shows require more infectious energy, more spectacle, more production value. Especially when you’re spending $80 for general admission.

The rock band ethos, however, requires a no-frills show. The two don’t line up.

—Janelle Bitker

Energetic piano: Classical music has long proven to be one of the biggest draws at the Mondavi Center since its 2002 opening. Season ticket holders get the first crack at seats, which means many events are often sold out or nearly at capacity before the general public can even attempt to go.

Last Wednesday’s show with Jeremy Denk was his first solo appearance here after accompanying renowned violinist Joshua Bell. The turnout for the event was much less than expected, but those in attendance were treated to a playlist well-worth the price of admission.

Arguably, Denk is already a household name in the classical world for his wonderful interpretations and boundless energy. With little fanfare, he introduced his first number without a microphone and launched headfirst into a set that included classical pieces by the greats, such as Schumann, Mozart and Beethoven, as well as two other equally compelling pieces.

From the opening notes of Joseph Haydn’s “Sonata in C Major, Hob.XVI:50” to his thought-provoking interpretation of Brad Mehldau’s “Sonata,” Denk played with an unmatched fervor that could be felt across the half-empty auditorium.

Sidenote: Jazz pianist and composer Mehldau will also grace the Mondavi Center on Thursday, December 4. Tickets are still available.

Mondavi’s setup for Denk was minimal, though appealing. He was dressed in a sleek black suit, matching the black Steinway & Sons piano with gold trim. The only other visual stimuli on the stage were four sets of plants placed equal distance apart at each corner of the stage.

Even for a Wednesday night and a light turnout, Denk proved he deserves to headline venues as esteemed as the Mondavi Center. His playing was exuberant and exciting; mesmerizing and titillating.

The only thing missing, of course, was you—and maybe a couple hundred more concertgoers.