Thursday, August 6th, 2026, blues-garage rock outfit The Black Keys played the first of two nights at The Pinnacle in Nashville, TN; the final stop of the North American leg of their 2026 “Peaches ‘n Kream World Tour”. What ensued was a twenty song setlist consisting of their biggest hits, while not neglecting newer material, including appearances from Sturgill Simpson, Marcus King, and opener Eddie 9V.
At 8 PM sharp, the Atlanta based Eddie 9V took the stage with a big smile on his face, and from the first down beat had the audience’s attention. Over the course of his 45-minute set, he and his band delivered consistently hard-hitting rock, soul, and blues, all with a strong taste of signature Southern twang. Featuring songs such as “Halo”, “Yella Alligator”, “Can I Sleep in Your Backyard?”, “Saratoga”, and even his most recent single “Blowin’ Up”, which was recorded with the help of Dan Auerbach at Easy Eye Studio right here in Nashville. Between each song, he would laugh alongside his bandmates and give them fist bumps, showing genuine enjoyment for performing. The band ended their set with “Whole Lot Coming For You”, an upbeat smoke show that, like most of his songs, contains appetizing guitar work complemented by solid rhythm and a goosebump-inducing Hammond organ. By the end of the set, I thought to myself “If that doesn’t make a musician want to go home and practice their instrument, I don’t know what will.” Being vaguely familiar with Eddie 9V prior to then, I can say with certainty he is an artist to keep on your radar. I should also mention that on my drive home from the show, I caught “Blowin’ Up” on Lightning 100 (100.1 FM), I like to believe it’s not a coincidence.
When the house lights arose, the anticipation further heightened. The Black Keys have been on my list of bands to see live for nearly a decade, which is rare. Every time they played in my vicinity, my circumstances prevented me from attending, so this was a very special occasion to me. Admittedly, I did walk into this show with some amount of skepticism given the band’s recent releases polarizing fans and having no intention of appeasing critics. However, those skepticisms disappeared when the band took the stage at 9:10 PM, with Dan holding his acoustic guitar, confidently playing the gentle intro for “Little Black Submarines”.
From the get-go, they surprised me, given that the song has historically been used to close out their shows, or at the very least appeared in the back half of the show. The song’s structure makes for a brilliant show opener, with the first half building suspense in darkness, and the second half exploding into high energy rock with bright lights illuminating the full stage. With the energy high, the band took it to new levels with “I Got Mine”, another classic from the band, to which it was evident that the crowd came to party. It felt as though the band was conducting the audience, with the audience moving accordingly. When the rager concluded, the band then went into “Fever”. While not a traditional sounding Black Keys song, it has been one that has consistently remained a part of their live shows since its release nearly a decade and a half ago. From here, I have to mention their most noticeable flaw when playing live, it is clear that drummer Patrick Carney does not play to a click track. This was especially evident with “Fever”, a slower song that requires solidity on the downbeat. In defense of the band, they have never been ones to strive for rhythmic perfection, they care more about having fun while playing their music loud. As for myself and others with rhythmically trained ears, it can be distracting. Nevertheless, the crowd was still having a great time, which is what matters most.
Next up, yet another surprise with “Gold on the Ceiling”; arguably the band’s biggest hit this early in the set felt like a rarity. At that rate, I was convinced they might just blow through the entire show with all the back-to-back heaters they were going through. The vibe was rockin’ and the collective crowd energy was steep. Afterwards they eased down a little by playing a song from their newest record, Peaches; a cover of Earl Hooker’s “You Got to Lose”. The audience still gratefully accepted it. I’ve been to concerts where an artist playing new material disrupts the vibe for the worse, but this was not one of those shows. Afterwards, Dan invited Eddie 9V to the stage for the next song, “Just Couldn’t Tie Me Down”. The chill flow of the song was accompanied by Dan and Eddie trading licks throughout the song and solo. I can see them collaborating more in the future, as they both seem to sonically complement one another.
With “Man on a Mission” next, they successfully pulled off yet another new(er) song. Coming from a divisive album amongst fans, it fits right in with the rest of their songs when played live, executed with the compelling grit not present in the studio version’s polished finish. Next in the set was the timeless “Everlasting Light”, a welcome surprise in the first half of the show. While commonly an indicator of the show winding down, the band played a more mellow arrangement of the song with the room glimmering in the light of a massive disco mirror ball. For the duration of the song, it felt as if all was right in the world. They followed it up with another notable Brothers tune, “Next Girl”. All the heaviness withheld from “Everlasting Light” was transferred over to this one, with the crowd yelling the chorus in unison with Dan.
The band held the crowd’s engagement with “Lo/Hi”, which after the seven years since release, has cemented itself as a reoccurring addition to their setlists. While catching their breath, Dan welcomed another friend to the stage, Nashville’s very own Marcus King. They then dove into their rendition of Willie Griffin’s “Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire”, which comes off much punchier than the studio version allows and featured an extended solo section with King ripping a spicy solo. After King left the stage, the Keys played two fan favorites, “Tighten Up” and “Howlin’ For You” both with Dan showcasing his recognizable jangly guitar tone, before seamlessly transitioning to a cover of Dr. Feelgood’s “She Does it Right”. They then took things back to their first release with “Heavy Soul”; the title speaks for itself.
With even more tricks up their sleeves, they welcomed Sturgill Simpson to the stage for a cover of “I Heard it Through the Grapevine”, to which the audience erupted in cheer. Originally by Gladys Knight & The Pips, many notable artists have taken memorable approaches to this song, this version was no exception. During the jam section, Dan, Sturgill, and guitarist Barrie Cadogan all contributed distinct solos, uniquely navigating the groove with bold voicings. It is also worth noting that this was Sturgill’s first public performance since the conclusion of Johnny Blue Skies’ 2025 tour. When the song winded down, Sturgill departed the stage, and the band amped things back up with “Wild Child”, which was met with a positive attitude, despite being a song that some fans are still warming up to. Regardless, everyone was brought back to the same page with the set closing “She’s Long Gone”.
After a momentary break, the band returned with “Weight of Love”, a powerful song from what I believe to be the band’s most overlooked album. The blistering solo itself makes this encore-worthy. Finally, with minutes to spare, the band ended the night with the iconic “Lonely Boy”. With one final hurrah, the entire room was on its feet, leaving no gas left in the tank. Punctually, they ended at 11 PM on the dot, however, the energy did not disappear with the music, it carried on through the exits of the venue and within the audience as they left for the night.
For a band who has had a roller coaster of a career, The Black Keys still know how to put on a show. A dang good show for that matter. Showing no sign of age or deterioration, they continue to carry the spirit of which they have always had. Truthfully, the most respectable thing about them is that after over twenty years, they’re still doing exactly what they want to, even if it means doing things not everyone is on board with. Still, their live shows are the most accurate representation of who they are. If anything, I’m surprised they haven’t released a live album from their modern era, a move that could have the potential to bring back a lot of former fans to the brilliance of this band. I digress. But seriously, The Black Keys are without a doubt worth seeing live in 2026, don’t pass up any chance you might get to see them. What more can I say?
The Black Keys Photo Gallery
Eddie 9V Photo Gallery
Setlist
- Little Black Submarines
- I Got Mine
- Fever
- Gold on the Ceiling
- You Got to Lose
- Just Couldn’t Tie Me Down
- Man on a Mission
- Everlasting Light
- Next Girl
- Lo/Hi
- Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire
- Tighten Up
- Howlin’ for You
- She Does It Right
- Heavy Soul
- I Heard It Through the Grapevine
- Wild Child
- She’s Long Gone
- Encore: Weight of Love
- Encore: Lonely Boy
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Live photography by Andrew Pringle for No Flash Needed. © 2026 No Flash Needed. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without written permission.
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