Black Keys Get Bigger at Osheaga Festival

If Jack White has taught the Black Keys anything, it's that you can't stick to a limited set-up forever. Following a few years of solid experimentation, Patrick Carney and Dan Auerbach embraced a smoother, more soulful sound on 2010's 'Brothers,' and the more elaborate aesthetic requires more players to make it work in a live setting.

Joined onstage by a bassist and keyboardist -- a former taboo in their pure guitar-drums configuration -- the Akron, Ohio duo used the duration of their too-short Osheaga Festival set to work through a number of songs off their latest album. Unable to give a bad performance, the band gave an impressive reading of the material.

The slinky Spoon-like 'Everlasting Light' showed off Auerbach's impressive new falsetto, while 'Ex Girl' used retro synthetic sounds as a funky background to the band's signature blues riffing.

But while it was a good glimpse of their new direction, it was easy to be wistful for the blistering blues-rock of their past. Ending the set again as a duo, the Keys dusted off 2007's 'I Got Mine' and once again proved why they're one of the most consistent live bands around. Playing off their natural chemistry, Carney held steady rhythm while Auerbach rocked heavy, distorted riffs and filthy slide solos. If only they could find the same energy as a quartet, they could be onto something even greater.