Dan Auerbach
Encyclopedia
Daniel Quine Auerbach is an American musician. A multi-instrumentalist
, he is best known as the guitarist
and vocalist
for The Black Keys
, a blues rock band from Akron, Ohio
. He is married to Stephanie Gonis, with whom he has a daughter, Sadie Little Auerbach, born in 2008.
. Auerbach became infatuated with blues music after listening to his father's old vinyl records during his childhood. He was influenced early-on by his mother's side of the family, notably his uncles who played bluegrass music
. Auerbach described himself as a normal teenager in high school who smoked marijuana and captained his high school
soccer team. He was heavily influenced by Junior Kimbrough
in college, eventually resulting in him dropping out to pursue the guitar more seriously. "I've listened to him so much, it's just how I hear it... I studied him so much... Getting F's in college, when I should've been studying, I was listening to Junior Kimbrough's music instead".
Other major influences include: Robert Johnson, R.L. Burnside, Clarence White
, Robert Nighthawk, T-Model Ford
, Hound Dog Taylor
, Mississippi Fred McDowell
, Kokomo Arnold
and Son House
.
in 2001. The Barnburners included Auerbach, Jason Edwards and Kip Amore. The Barnburners were a blues
-based band that performed in Northeast Ohio
clubs and released a 6 track album called The Rawboogie EP. The album includes the Junior Kimbrough
song "Meet Me in the City", which Auerbach later covered with The Black Keys
on their Chulahoma
studio album.
The original percussionist, Bob Cesare, was unable to perform with the Fast Five due to a death in his family.
Dan and Pat met the members of Hacienda at a club, Emo's
, in Austin, Texas while watching a band during the Austin City Limits Music Festival
. Upon seeing one of the Hacienda band members hit on an intoxicated woman, Carney
walked over and leaned in saying, "Dude, trust me, that's a bad idea." After becoming acquainted with each other, Dan emailed Hacienda a month later asking for more demos, which eventually led them to being asked to open for The Black Keys
and Dr. Dog
at a show in Austin, Texas. Afterwards, Auerbach asked Hacienda to travel to Akron, Ohio where they would be his "Guinea pigs" while recording Keep It Hid
.
With The Black Keys
Blakroc
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
, he is best known as the guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
and vocalist
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
for The Black Keys
The Black Keys
The Black Keys are an American rock duo consisting of vocalist/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer/producer Patrick Carney. The band was formed in Akron, Ohio, in 2001. As of October 2011, the band has sold over 2 million albums in the U.S....
, a blues rock band from Akron, Ohio
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
. He is married to Stephanie Gonis, with whom he has a daughter, Sadie Little Auerbach, born in 2008.
Childhood and early life
Daniel Quine Auerbach is the son of Charles Auerbach (b. about 1950) and Mary Little Quine (b. about 1948). Auerbach grew up in a family with musical roots. His first cousin once removed is the late Robert QuineRobert Quine
Robert Wolfe Quine was an American guitarist, known for his innovative guitar solos.A native of Akron, Ohio, Quine worked with a wide range of musicians, though he himself remained relatively unknown in comparison...
. Auerbach became infatuated with blues music after listening to his father's old vinyl records during his childhood. He was influenced early-on by his mother's side of the family, notably his uncles who played bluegrass music
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
. Auerbach described himself as a normal teenager in high school who smoked marijuana and captained his high school
Firestone High School
Harvey S. Firestone High School is a public high school located on the northwest side of Akron, Ohio. It is one of seven high schools in the Akron Public Schools district. The high school currently offers programs such as the Visual and Performing Arts, International Baccalaureate Program, and...
soccer team. He was heavily influenced by Junior Kimbrough
Junior Kimbrough
David "Junior" Kimbrough was an American blues musician. His best known work included "Keep Your Hands Off Her" and "All Night Long". Music journalist Tony Russell stated "his raw, repetitive style suggests an archaic forebear of John Lee Hooker, a character his music shares with that of fellow...
in college, eventually resulting in him dropping out to pursue the guitar more seriously. "I've listened to him so much, it's just how I hear it... I studied him so much... Getting F's in college, when I should've been studying, I was listening to Junior Kimbrough's music instead".
Other major influences include: Robert Johnson, R.L. Burnside, Clarence White
Clarence White
Clarence White was a guitar player for Nashville West, The Byrds, Muleskinner, and the Kentucky Colonels. His parents were Acadians from New Brunswick, Canada...
, Robert Nighthawk, T-Model Ford
T-Model Ford
James Lewis Carter Ford is an American blues musician, using the name T-Model Ford. Unable to remember his exact date of birth, he began his musical career in his early seventies, and has continuously recorded for the Fat Possum label, then switched to Alive Naturalsound Records. His musical style...
, Hound Dog Taylor
Hound Dog Taylor
Theodore Roosevelt "Hound Dog" Taylor was an American Chicago blues guitarist and singer.-Career:Taylor was born in Natchez, Mississippi in 1915 . He originally played piano, but began playing guitar when he was 20...
, Mississippi Fred McDowell
Mississippi Fred McDowell
Fred McDowell known by his stage name; Mississippi Fred McDowell, was an American Hill country blues singer and guitar player.-Career:...
, Kokomo Arnold
Kokomo Arnold
Kokomo Arnold was an American blues musician.Born as James Arnold in Lovejoy's Station, Georgia, he got his nickname in 1934 after releasing "Old Original Kokomo Blues" for the Decca label; it was a cover of the Scrapper Blackwell blues song about the city of Kokomo, Indiana...
and Son House
Son House
Eddie James "Son" House, Jr. was an American blues singer and guitarist. House pioneered an innovative style featuring strong, repetitive rhythms, often played with the aid of slide guitar, and his singing often incorporated elements of southern gospel and spiritual music...
.
The Barnburners
Auerbach was a member of a band called The Barnburners before forming The Black KeysThe Black Keys
The Black Keys are an American rock duo consisting of vocalist/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer/producer Patrick Carney. The band was formed in Akron, Ohio, in 2001. As of October 2011, the band has sold over 2 million albums in the U.S....
in 2001. The Barnburners included Auerbach, Jason Edwards and Kip Amore. The Barnburners were a blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
-based band that performed in Northeast Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
clubs and released a 6 track album called The Rawboogie EP. The album includes the Junior Kimbrough
Junior Kimbrough
David "Junior" Kimbrough was an American blues musician. His best known work included "Keep Your Hands Off Her" and "All Night Long". Music journalist Tony Russell stated "his raw, repetitive style suggests an archaic forebear of John Lee Hooker, a character his music shares with that of fellow...
song "Meet Me in the City", which Auerbach later covered with The Black Keys
The Black Keys
The Black Keys are an American rock duo consisting of vocalist/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer/producer Patrick Carney. The band was formed in Akron, Ohio, in 2001. As of October 2011, the band has sold over 2 million albums in the U.S....
on their Chulahoma
Chulahoma: The Songs of Junior Kimbrough
[*] A longer and cover version of "My Mind is Ramblin'", clocking at 7:05, was released on the Sunday Nights: The Songs of Junior Kimbrough tribute compilation, released in 2005 by Fat Possum Records....
studio album.
The Fast Five (band)
The band "Fast Five" toured with Auerbach in 2009. The Fast Five's other members drew from the band Hacienda and percussionist Patrick Hallahan from My Morning JacketMy Morning Jacket
My Morning Jacket is an American rock band from Louisville, Kentucky.The band consists of Jim James , Tom 'Two-Tone Tommy' Blankenship , Patrick Hallahan , Carl Broemel , and Bo Koster .-History:My Morning Jacket was...
The original percussionist, Bob Cesare, was unable to perform with the Fast Five due to a death in his family.
Dan and Pat met the members of Hacienda at a club, Emo's
Emo's
Emo's is a prominent nightclub located in Austin, Texas. Emo's got its start as a Houston punk club in 1989, with the Austin location opening in 1992. The Houston location closed its doors in September 2001....
, in Austin, Texas while watching a band during the Austin City Limits Music Festival
Austin City Limits Music Festival
The Austin City Limits Music Festival is an annual three-day American music festival that takes place in Austin, Texas at the city's central public park, Zilker Park...
. Upon seeing one of the Hacienda band members hit on an intoxicated woman, Carney
Patrick Carney
Patrick J. Carney is a multi-instrumentalist best known as the drummer for The Black Keys, a blues-rock band from Akron, Ohio...
walked over and leaned in saying, "Dude, trust me, that's a bad idea." After becoming acquainted with each other, Dan emailed Hacienda a month later asking for more demos, which eventually led them to being asked to open for The Black Keys
The Black Keys
The Black Keys are an American rock duo consisting of vocalist/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer/producer Patrick Carney. The band was formed in Akron, Ohio, in 2001. As of October 2011, the band has sold over 2 million albums in the U.S....
and Dr. Dog
Dr. Dog
Dr. Dog is a psychedelic rock band from West Grove, Pennsylvania. Its lineup currently consists of Toby Leaman , Scott McMicken , Frank McElroy , Zach Miller , and Eric Slick . Lead vocal duties are shared between Leaman and McMicken, with all members contributing harmonies...
at a show in Austin, Texas. Afterwards, Auerbach asked Hacienda to travel to Akron, Ohio where they would be his "Guinea pigs" while recording Keep It Hid
Keep It Hid
Keep It Hid is the debut solo album by the American blues-rock musician Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, released in 2009 on Nonesuch Records.-Track listing:All songs written by Dan Auerbach, except where noted.# "Trouble Weighs a Ton" – 2:19...
.
Discography
Solo- Keep It HidKeep It HidKeep It Hid is the debut solo album by the American blues-rock musician Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, released in 2009 on Nonesuch Records.-Track listing:All songs written by Dan Auerbach, except where noted.# "Trouble Weighs a Ton" – 2:19...
(2009)
With The Black Keys
- The Big Come UpThe Big Come Up-Personnel:*Dan Auerbach - guitar, vocals*Patrick Carney - drums, producer*Patrick Boissel - album cover design*Robert Kramer - album cover design, photography*Dave Schultz - mastering...
(2002) - ThickfreaknessThickfreakness-Personnel:* Dan Auerbach - guitar, vocals, bass on track 4* Patrick Carney - drum kit, production...
(2003) - The MoanThe Moan*The 2-track single vinyl edition is purple....
(2004) - Rubber FactoryRubber Factory- Personnel:*Dan Auerbach: guitars, vocals, fiddle, lap steel, hand claps*Patrick Carney: drums, percussion, hand claps...
(2004) - ChulahomaChulahoma: The Songs of Junior Kimbrough[*] A longer and cover version of "My Mind is Ramblin'", clocking at 7:05, was released on the Sunday Nights: The Songs of Junior Kimbrough tribute compilation, released in 2005 by Fat Possum Records....
(2006) - Magic PotionMagic Potion (album)-Cover art:The cover art depicts a Fabergé egg. Inside the album is a picture of a fried egg. The back cover depicts a falcon....
(2006) - Attack & ReleaseAttack & Release- Notes :* "Things Ain't Like They Used to Be" features a duet between Dan Auerbach and then 17-year-old bluegrass/country singer Jessica Lea Mayfield.* "Strange Times" is featured in the 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IV as well as NASCAR 09....
(2008) - BrothersBrothers (The Black Keys album)Brothers is the sixth album and Grammy Award-winner of Best Alternative Music Album by American blues-rock duo, The Black Keys. The album was announced on March 2, 2010 by Pitchfork Media and became the band's third release from Nonesuch Records on May 18, 2010...
(2010) - El CaminoEl Camino (The Black Keys album)El Camino is the seventh album by American blues-rock duo The Black Keys. The album was announced on October 10, 2011 by Pitchfork Media and will become the band's fourth release from Nonesuch Records on December 6, 2011...
(2011)
Blakroc
- Blakroc (2009)
Other projects
- Jessica Lea MayfieldJessica Lea MayfieldJessica Lea Mayfield is an American singer-songwriter, actor, from Kent, Ohio. She is known for writing dark, sad songs, with a plaintive minimalist style that draws on both country and rock music.-Early years:...
With Blasphemy So HeartfeltJessica Lea MayfieldJessica Lea Mayfield is an American singer-songwriter, actor, from Kent, Ohio. She is known for writing dark, sad songs, with a plaintive minimalist style that draws on both country and rock music.-Early years:...
– Producer, Engineer, Mixer, Arranger, Acoustic and Electric Guitars, Bass, Drums, BG Vocals, Piano, Synthesizer, Hammond Organ, Toy Piano, Lap Steel, Percussion - Shivering Timbers We All Started In The Same Place – Producer, Engineer, Drums, Mixer
- Cadillac Sky Letters In The Deep – Producer, Engineer, Mixer
- Hacienda Loud Is The Night – Producer, Engineer, Mixer, BG Vocals, Guitar
- Hacienda Big Red & Barbacoa – Producer, Engineer, Mixer
- Hacienda TBA (spring 2012) – Producer
- Radio MoscowRadio Moscow (band)Radio Moscow is an American psychedelic blues band from Story City, Iowa. Formed in 2003 by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Parker Griggs, the band currently features bassist Zach Anderson and live drummer Cory Berry...
Radio Moscow – Producer, Engineer, Mixer, Acoustic Guitar - Buffalo KillersBuffalo KillersBuffalo Killers are an American rock band comprising guitarist and vocalist Andrew Gabbard, bass guitarist and vocalist Zachary Gabbard and drummer Joseph Sebaali. The band was formed in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 2006 following the dissolution of Thee Shams, of which the trio were members...
Let It Ride – Producer, Engineer, Mixer - The EttesThe EttesThe Ettes is a garage rock revival band consisting of Lindsay “Coco” Hames, Maria “Poni” Silver, and Jeremy “Jem” Cohen. The band formed in 2004 in Los Angeles, California and is currently based in Nashville, Tennessee.-History:...
Danger Is EP (2 songs) – Producer, Engineer, Mixer - The EttesThe EttesThe Ettes is a garage rock revival band consisting of Lindsay “Coco” Hames, Maria “Poni” Silver, and Jeremy “Jem” Cohen. The band formed in 2004 in Los Angeles, California and is currently based in Nashville, Tennessee.-History:...
Do You Want Power (1 song- No Home) – Producer, Engineer, Mixer Piano - Nathaniel MayerNathaniel MayerNathaniel Mayer was a rhythm & blues singer who started his career in the early 1960s at Fortune Records in Detroit...
Why Don't You Give It To Me – Co-producer, co-mixer, Guitar, Drums, Vocals - Nathaniel MayerNathaniel MayerNathaniel Mayer was a rhythm & blues singer who started his career in the early 1960s at Fortune Records in Detroit...
Why Won't You Let Me Be Black? – Co-producer, co-mixer, Guitar, Vocals - Brimstone HowlBrimstone HowlBrimstone Howl is a punk blues band based in Omaha, Nebraska. They are often called "garage rock", although the band members themselves reject the term. The band formed in 2002 as Caesar the Greaser, and became The Zyklon Bees in 2004. In May 2005 the band changed their name to Brimstone Howl....
Guts of Steel – Producer, Engineer, Mixer - Black Diamond Heavies A Touch of Someone Else's Class – Producer, Engineer, Mixer
- Patrick SweanyPatrick SweanyPatrick Sweany is a Blues-rock musician from Massillon, Ohio.-Biography:Patrick Sweany first gained prominence in the late 1990s as an acoustic blues guitarist and singer at many Blues Festivals around the U.S. His first CD I Wanna Tell You was released in 1999 and drew critical acclaim from...
Every Hour Is a Dollar Gone – Producer, Engineer, Mixer - SSMSSM (band)SSM are a garage punk band from Detroit, Michigan who are signed to Alive Records and feature members of The Hentchmen, The Sights and The Cyril Lords.-Career:...
SSM – Recorded, Engineered - SSMSSM (band)SSM are a garage punk band from Detroit, Michigan who are signed to Alive Records and feature members of The Hentchmen, The Sights and The Cyril Lords.-Career:...
EP1 – Recorded, Engineered - The GrowlersThe GrowlersThe Growlers is a Californian band, formed in Long Beach, in 2006, though their hometown is originally Costa Mesa, Orange County. The band consists of Brooks Nielsen , Patrick Palomo , Matt Taylor , Scott Montoya and Kyle Straka . Their first album, Are You in or Out, was released in 2009...
TBA - Producer
Guitars
- Fender Jerry Donahue TelecasterFender TelecasterThe Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is typically a dual-pickup, solid-body electric guitar made by Fender.Its simple yet effective design and revolutionary sound broke ground and set trends in electric guitar manufacturing and popular music...
- Harmony Stratotone H47Harmony Companythumb|right|250px|A collection of Harmony guitars:SS Stewart gold acoustic, H73 [[Roy Smeck]], H37 Hollywood, Silvertone 1446, H44 StratotoneThe Harmony Company was an American company that, in its heyday, was the largest musical instrument manufacturer in the USA...
- Harmony H78 HollowbodyHarmony Companythumb|right|250px|A collection of Harmony guitars:SS Stewart gold acoustic, H73 [[Roy Smeck]], H37 Hollywood, Silvertone 1446, H44 StratotoneThe Harmony Company was an American company that, in its heyday, was the largest musical instrument manufacturer in the USA...
- Harmony Heath TG-46Harmony Companythumb|right|250px|A collection of Harmony guitars:SS Stewart gold acoustic, H73 [[Roy Smeck]], H37 Hollywood, Silvertone 1446, H44 StratotoneThe Harmony Company was an American company that, in its heyday, was the largest musical instrument manufacturer in the USA...
- Harmony RocketHarmony Companythumb|right|250px|A collection of Harmony guitars:SS Stewart gold acoustic, H73 [[Roy Smeck]], H37 Hollywood, Silvertone 1446, H44 StratotoneThe Harmony Company was an American company that, in its heyday, was the largest musical instrument manufacturer in the USA...
- Gibson Firebird VIIGibson FirebirdThe Gibson Firebird is a solid-body electric guitar manufactured by Gibson from 1963 to the present.-History:The Gibson Guitar Corporation released several new styles during the 1950s to compete with Fender's instruments, such as the Telecaster and Stratocaster. After success with the Les Paul in...
- 70's Gibson Les Paul DeluxeGibson Les PaulThe Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...
- 60's Gibson SG JuniorGibson SG JuniorThe Gibson SG Junior was a solid-bodied electric guitar manufactured by Gibson from the early 1960s to the late 60s. Like its earlier sister, the Gibson Les Paul Junior, it had been created for sale to anyone who wanted Gibson quality for a cheap price. It is known for its single P-90 treble...
- Supro Martinique
- Silvertone U1
- RickenbackerRickenbackerRickenbacker International Corporation, also known as Rickenbacker, is an electric and bass guitar manufacturer based in Santa Ana, California...
360 - Ibanez SG copy
- Ibanez Rocket Roll[flying v copy]
- National Map
- Tiesco Del Rey SS-4L
Amplification
- Fender Quad Reverb
- Marshall JTM45 and vintage Marshall 8x10 cab
- Fender '65 Twin Reverb ReissueFender TwinThe Fender Twin is a guitar amplifier made by Fender. It was introduced in 1952, two years before Fender began selling Stratocaster electric guitars. The amps are known for their characteristically clean tone....
- Fender Musicmaster BassFender Musicmaster BassThe Fender Musicmaster Bass is a model of electric bass guitar, produced by Fender between 1971 to 1981.As with its six-string counterpart, which was a stripped-down version of the Fender Mustang, the Musicmaster Bass is a simpler version of the Mustang Bass. It features a very short 30" scale, the...
- Fender Super ReverbFender Super ReverbThe Fender Super Reverb was a guitar amplifier made by Fender. It was introduced in 1963 and was discontinued in 1982. This was essentially a Fender Super amplifier with built-in reverb and vibrato. The original Super Reverb amplifiers were all tube design and featured spring reverb. There were...
Effects
- Ibanez Standard FuzzIbanezis a Japanese guitar brand owned by Hoshino Gakki. Based in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, Hoshino Gakki were one of the first Japanese musical instrument companies to gain a significant foothold in import guitar sales in the United States and Europe, as well as the first brand of guitars to mass produce...
- Sovtek Big MuffBig MuffThe Big Muff is a fuzzbox produced in New York City by the Electro-Harmonix company, along with their Russian sister company Sovtek, primarily for use with the electric guitar...
- Gibson Maestro Fuzz ToneGibson Guitar CorporationThe Gibson Guitar Corporation, formerly of Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently of Nashville, Tennessee, manufactures guitars and other instruments which sell under a variety of brand names...
- Tubeplex tape delay
- Fulltone Tape Echo
- BossBoss CorporationBoss is a manufacturer of effects pedals for electric guitar and bass guitar. It is a division of the Roland Corporation, a Japanese manufacturer that specializes in musical equipment and accessories...
TR-2 Tremolo - Analogman Sunface