Patrick Carney Names Which Black Keys Song He Thinks is Best, Looks Back on Steve Miller Rock Hall Moment
Patrick Carney is the latest musician to take part in Vulture‘s “Superlatives” feature where many of the biggest names in music name identify the songs from their career they think are the best, most underrated and other various distinctions.
When it comes to the Black Keys song Carney thinks is the duo’s best, he singles out “I Got Mine” from their fifth studio album Attack & Release.
“It changes pretty frequently for me, but ‘I Got Mine’ is my favorite song to play live. That might have to be my best song, then,” explains Carney. “If I get really nervous before a show or something, I’ll focus on that song. We played this pay-per-view boxing match the other day and we were a bit off because there was no audience. It made me a little bit nervous, just because nobody was there. The opposite of what you anticipate happening.”
Carney continued, “So I put ‘I Got Mine’ first on the set list because it’s so fun to play. It’s not a really known song and there’s no expectation of what it should sound like. It becomes an exercise of playing rock and roll loud, which is a lot of fun to do, and it reminds me of how visceral music can be. It takes me into a caveman state.”
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Carney was also asked if he has “lingering thought about [the Black Keys’] drama-filled Steve Miller induction at the 2016 Rock Hall.” His short answer? Yes. The long answer?
“The reality of that situation is the Rock Hall, for better or worse…well, I’m into it,” began Carney. “I’m into any museum that celebrates music. I think it’s cool to acknowledge people’s careers in certain ways. That night, though, wow.”
He continued, “Like I said, I’m a college dropout and I don’t know how to write s—. When someone asked us to induct Steve Miller, I didn’t know that much about him. I was like, ‘Okay?’ I never even watched one of these ceremonies, so I didn’t really know what to do. So I Googled Steve Miller and it said that he was born in Milwaukee. So I wrote one line in the speech that was, ‘There’s been a lot of Millers made in Milwaukee, but only one Steve Miller.’ I thought it was hilarious. But nobody laughed.”
Carney concluded, “…Then I learned later that Steve Miller had a long relationship with some people who were on the board of the Rock Hall and he was bitter that it took him so long to get it. It’s all politics.”
Dan Auerbach weighed in on the Steve Miller Rock Hall situation shortly after the 2016 induction ceremony. At the time, he told Rolling Stone, “…We read a lot of things and we got a really uncomfortable feeling when we first met Steve. He had no idea who we were. No idea. The first thing he told us was, ‘I can’t wait to get out of here…’”
Auerbach added, “Pat and I both regret [inducting Miller.] It’s unfortunate. Of course, there are problems in the music industry. Of course. But, we were there, unpaid, on our own free will, to come celebrate his achievements and spread the joy of rock & roll. To inspire kids to pick up guitars. To play music. And it felt like we were doing the opposite.”
Auerbach also said, “He called the [Rock Hall] ‘a boys’ club.’ The Steve Miller band has had 35 members and no women.”
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