BY ZACHARY HERRMANN

On the opening night of Dan Auerbach's first solo tour, it truly was a tale of two bands. The Black Keys singer/guitarist had his backing band, Texas psych-poppers Hacienda, in the second opening slot. With a solid Auerbach-produced debut, Loud is the Night, the songs and the talent seemed well in place - not to mention, the band is an incredibly natural fit for Auerbach's own debut, Keep it Hid.

Following the delightfully unrefined cow-punk of Those Darlins though, Hacienda seemed marked for failure, worrisome to anyone aware of the band's responsibilities later in the night. The group's microphones faltered on the opener, the mix was fairly muddy for most of the 10 song set and the band felt severely out of step throughout.

The three brothers Villanueva (Abraham, Jaime and Rene) and cousin Dante Schwebel played the hell out of their instruments, but not until "Hear Me Cryin'" was there really any semblance of chemistry on stage. As one fan inquired after the set, "What do you think went wrong with them?"

Be it a brief case of opening night jitters or lord knows what, some 20 minutes and a slight costume change later, Hacienda emerged with Auerbach in tow, completely unfazed. Schwebel and Auerbach looked like bearded brothers in arms, leaning in to share a microphone for the delicate "Trouble Weighs a Ton." Highlighted in sparse lighting, the two singers ushered in some much needed clarity to the night's ragtag beginning.

The kinks were gone and the rest of the show - a powerhouse, 70-minute set - flew by in a whirlwind of feedback heavy solos and tight grooves. With last second addition My Morning Jacket drummer Patrick Hallahan filling out the line up, Auerbach's six-piece laid down the sort of full tilt boogie (see "I Want Some More" for further explanation) The Black Keys can only hint at in concert.

Much as Jack White seems to enjoy the limitations of The White Stripes while he exercises a freer palette with The Raconteurs, Auerbach has proven his ability to thrive in his respective similar scenario. Not to disparage Auerbach's other Key, drummer Patrick Carney, but it was thrilling to see Auerbach with a little less weight on his shoulders.

Wiping sweat from his brow, Auerbach exclaimed, "Playing with a full band - it's no easier." This came after a ripping, tripped out obscurity - Rockin' Horses's "Oh Carol, I'm So Sad" - and just before a Christmas light draped background lit up for "Real Desire." The band tore into the strung out blues ballad and Auerbach, whether he felt the pressure or not, seemed to be having a hell of a time; swaying back and forth, eyes wide shut in a guitarist's trance.

Instead of simultaneously functioning as lead, rhythm and bass as he does with the Keys, Auerbach balanced between his usual relentless riffing and letting some of the other guys do the work. Schwebel provided a deft little bottleneck solo on an unreleased track carrying some heavy Tom Waits vibes - the refrain, "Money and trouble" had plenty of resonance in a venue located less than three miles from Congress's doorsteps.

As much as the boys sounded at home howling through the rockers and slow-burners on Keep It Hid (as well as a fairly literal shot at The Animals' "Inside Looking Out"), Auerbach and Co. were equally strong on the softer moments.    

"Let's see if you're man enough to get real quiet and pretty," Auerbach offered as an intro to "When the Night Comes" and "Whispered Words." And even though Auerbach's balladry had plenty of crowd chatter and bottle rustling to compete with, the power of the songs pulled through.

"Whispered Words," arguably the most beautiful piece of music Auerbach has in his canon (Auerbach's father wrote the lyrics) went from hushed to raging by the end. Many a gangly, curly-haired Auerbach-ite bounced and swung to the extended coda, a sort of garage take on a torch song finale.

After a little over an hour, the band looked as if they were ready to call it a night. The house lights came on and the PA system queued, sending people filing for the door. At the last second though, Auerbach and his cohorts returned for a two-song encore.

Had they decided not to return, it would have felt discourteous (no encore, really?). But after the show Auerbach put on - the first of what we can safely assume will be many great solo sets - no one could have held it against the guy for too long.

Set list:

1) Trouble Weighs a Ton

2) I Want Some More

3) The Prowl

4) When I Left the Room

5) My Last Mistake

6) Mean Monsoon

7) Oh Carol, I'm So Sad (Rockin' Horse)

8) Real Desire

9) [Unreleased - "Money and Trouble"]

10) Street Walkin'

11) When the Night Comes

12) Whispered Words

13) Heartbroken, In Disrepair

14) Keep it Hid

15) Inside Looking Out (The Animals)

16) Goin' Home

17)  [Unknown song]

[Photos Credit: Zachary Herrmann]