Photo by Dan DeSlover

Returning from a five-year hiatus following their 2014 effort, Turn Blue, The Black Keys finally produced new material with the aptly-named "Let’s Rock". They subsequently kicked off their tour at Life Is Beautiful Music Festival in Las Vegas last weekend and are currently trekking across North America in support of their ninth studio release. They packed the United Center in Chicago on Friday night with Modest Mouse in tow.

The duo of drummer Patrick Carney and guitarist-vocalist Dan Auerbach were joined by a bass player and two guitarists to add extra depth to their already rich sound. Kicking off the night with blues-rocker “I Got Mine,” Auerbach dolling out gritty riffs behind his reverberating vocals.

Uptempo jam "Eagle Birds” led into the subdued and dreamy “Tell Me Lies," contrasting the range in musical style on the new album, both songs emphasizing a throwback to the heavy guitar and drum baseline that represents The Black Keys roots. They ripped through half of Let’s Rock on the evening, with first single “Lo/Hi” hitting the mark.

Though the show was peppered with fan favorites (“Gold on the Ceiling,” “Next Girl” and “Howlin’ for You” come to mind), the back-end truly showcased the strength of their catalog. From foot-stomping “Tighten Up” into groovy “Thickfreakness” and on to “Ten Cent Pistol,” to be followed by gems “Little Black Submarines” and “Lonely Boy.”

Those that didn’t brave the torrid thunderstorms on this night (the amphitheater show across town was canceled) will hopefully get a chance to catch them at Lollapalooza next summer. Our fingers are crossed.

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