The Black Keys breathed new life into the garage rock genre when they formed in 2001. The Akron, Ohio duo of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney achieved commercial success with their 2010 album Brothers, which scored three GRAMMY Awards. When they dropped their 12th studio album, Ohio Players, in April, one critic announced the band had “found their creative musical joy again.” Then, in May, The Black Keys shocked fans by quietly canceling their upcoming tour. Later, the blues-rockers parted ways with managers Irving Azoff and Steve Moir. Now, it appears they have found new management.
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The Black Keys Ink New Management Deal
Rolling Stone first reported Friday (June 14) that The Black Keys signed a deal with Red Light Management, one of the largest management companies in the music industry. The “Gold on the Ceiling” artists join a star-studded client list that boasts the Dave Matthews Band, Primus, and the estate of Tom Petty.
The Black Keys were set to kick off their International Players Tour on Sept. 17 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Over Memorial Day weekend, the band’s concert dates disappeared from the Ticketmaster website with little fanfare.
Social media users speculated the band canceled the tour due to low ticket sales—which many irate fans blamed on “exorbitantly priced tickets.”
However, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney clarified on social media that this was not the case.
“Following the recent run of shows in the U.K. and Europe, including stops at iconic venues like Brixton Academy and the Zenith in Paris, we have decided to make some changes to the North American leg of the International Players Tour that will enable us to offer a similarly exciting, intimate experience for both fans and the band, and will be announcing a revised set of dates shortly,” they wrote.
Patrick Carney: “We Got F***ed”
The Black Keys had worked with Azoff—who also manages The Eagles, U2 and John Mayer—since 2021. A representative for Azoff told Billboard that the split was an “amicable parting.”
However, social media comments from Carney seemed to suggest otherwise. “We got f***ed,” the drummer wrote in a since-deleted post on X/Twitter. “I’ll let you all know how so it doesn’t happen to you. Stay tuned.”
Featured image by Marcus Ingram/Getty Images for TNT Sports
