Credit: Danny ClinchHow did two kids from Akron, Ohio launch what would become one of the biggest rock bands in America? Random accidents.
That's how drummer Patrick Carney describes the rise of The Black Keys in The Big Come Up, the newest installment of Rolling Stone's "Mastering the Craft" documentary series. Carney and frontman Dan Auerbach met growing up mere doors from each other. They didn't know each other too well, but their brothers were good friends. Though they jammed together a few times, nothing really came of it, and eventually, they lost touch.
Then Auerbach, who had been playing covers in bar shows, wanted to record a demo. He contacted Carney again, since he had his own recording equipment. He intended to record with his own band, but then the first act of randomness struck.
"His band never showed up," Carney says. "So we decided we would just record some s**t."
That impromptu recording session became The Black Keys' first rehearsal, and resulted in the first Black Keys demo. They sent the demo to record labels with a note claiming that they have played all around Cleveland, even though they hadn't played a single show anywhere.
"Whatever," Auerbach laughs. "It was a white lie."
That white lie didn't hurt, but the actual demo did the heavy lifting. The recording impressed the people Alive Records, who signed The Black Keys to a record deal. The band was booked for their first show as an opening band by the Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland, and they released their debut album, 2002's The Big Come Up. They then developed a cult following around northeastern Ohio before blowing up into the rock stars they are today.
"It was our first attempts at ever writing music," Auerbach says of The Black Keys' first demo. "You get to witness a band from their inception, as like, musicians really."
You can hear the whole Black Keys origin story at RollingStone.com.
Follow @ABCNewsRadio Copyright © 2015, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.