Patrick Carney, the drummer for the rock band The Black Keys, sent The Wall Street Journal this short meditation on his hometown of Akron, Ohio and the possible departure of its favorite son. In the spirit of LeBron, he wrote it in the third person.
LeBron James is from Akron, OH as are Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney of The Black Keys.
It’s a hard place to be from. There are very few jobs, the economy has been struggling for years and most of Patrick Carney’s favorite places growing up have since closed.
In fact, it became so hard to be there Patrick Carney left. Patrick Carney moved to New York City last August and embraced a new city where everything is at Patrick Carney’s fingertips. However, leaving Akron doesn’t mean Patrick Carney doesn’t consider it home and not a day goes by that Patrick Carney doesn’t miss certain things about it – the people mostly.
The difference between Patrick Carney moving and LeBron James is obvious. Patrick Carney just moved. The band will always play shows there – The Black Keys will always be an Akron band. If LeBron leaves he will never be able to be as close to his fans as he is in Ohio–he is one of the few bright things to come from a struggling town.
Patrick Carney is writing this from Dublin, Ireland on tour hours before the announcement is made. LeBron–if you choose to stay you just made a whole state have a reason to feel proud. If you choose to leave, you just made a few salesmen at a Ferrari dealership in Miami wet their lips.
Either way, these decisions are hard. He is 25 and has spent his whole life in one town. No college. No Peace Corps. Maybe he needs to explore the world, and you can never fault someone for that.
The Black Keys’ new album is titled “Brothers.”
LeBron made the right decision. He has done hos part for Ohio and Akoron., He was the George Bailey (Its a Wonderful Life) for the area. Now it is LeBrons turn to go for hos goal…The ring. Good luck LeBron.
Seriously. Who are the Black Keys?
I am born and raised and still live in Akron. I have no idea what the Black Keys sing.
If he wanted a ring so bad, he should have married his children’s mother.
As someone who loooves the Black Keys, I can tell you they rock. As a home town girl much of what Carney says is true. However, LeBron broke up with Akron on national television after a much drawn out display of ego-centric fanfare and this town will find it very hard to forgive him. It is not the decision, but the way it was handled that many are upset and angry about. Giving NE OH the “It’s not you, it’s me” speech is simply too much to bear. Keys rock.
If you are a fan of:
Rock and Classic Blues with a unique mix, how can you not know the Black Keys?
Please spend some time on youtube and get to know them.
GO BROWNS!
Ask Brad Pitt who the Black Keys are….. he’s a huge fan! (This btw was a cool post to read)
Who cares what this black key guy says. He will be footnote in history.
I have lived in Akron for many years and have been a rocker for most of them , and I never heard of a band called Black Keys.
Who are they supposed to be anyways, that anyone would care what a drummer from them would think.
Slow Slow news day for Akron I suppose.
In the time you spent writing about ‘who are the black keys’ you could have just gone to youtube and heard them for yourself!
All of you ‘Akronites’ that don’t know who the Black Keys are, maybe go out from under your rock from time to time. At least just search youtube or is that even too hip for you?
Talking in third person about one’s self is really awesome – stick to music whoever you are…
I suppose that if you have no interest in current music, it isn’t hard to believe never having heard of the Black keys. has nothing to do with rocks, Jake. I have no interest in them or their music style, likewise there is no reason for me to search on Youtube for them. In fact, I’ll bet a lot of you don’t know any artists of roccoco music, or baroque music. So there.
Chris, Kirk, Robert, and especially Raymond.
The Black Keys are literally the one good thing about Akron, OH. You clearly live sad, hopeless lives if you don’t even know about the one reason to be proud of being from around here. Like others have recommended, stop listening to the trash you must fill your ipods with and get busy looking up the Black Keys.
How could anyone from Akron not know who The Black Keys are? I find that disturbing to say the least. No wonder everyone leaves.
What exactlly is “marriage”? LeBron lives in a committed relationship with “his children’s (sic) mother”. If that doesn’t suit you, stay in your church and leave modern society alone.
Ok, Pat. In a New York minute you’re going to be a nobody. I don’t see Dan calling up the Wall Street Journal …hmmm. Better stay on his good side, man.
Chris knows who the Black Keys are. Chris actually likes their music. Chris hopes much success for all things Akron. Wait a minute – I’m Chris. How can that be, that I write about me? Now I’m confused….
Akron is a good city. In a way, the Black keys nailed the sound of that city. I hope the move to hipster NYC doesn’t mess things up.
The third-person thing is just strange.
Well, whoever the Black Keys are, they are on tour right now in Ireland. So run out and git your tix you idiots !!!
Patrick Carney used to make me live now honey, Partick Craney was the best friend I ever had…been with Patrick Carney such a long time….Partick Carney was my best friend. Rain or Shine, Patrick Carney stood by something that made Patrick Carney live. Patrick Carney was my best friend…
Hey Patrick, I’m a 96 grad if FHS and started listening to you guys a few years back. I no longer live in Akron but love to hear a success story like yours and Dans.
Please keep up the good and hard work. Your music rocks
I have no issue with a young guy leaving home to explore/live somewhere else. But only a first-class a-hole would go on national TV with a primetime special, and not contact his previous employers to notify them. This was a no-class act, from a guy who’s clearly just in it for himself. D-Wade can win without him. LeBron can’t win without D-Wade. I guess we can stop comparing him to Jordan.
Haha, i can’t believe people have never heard of the Black Keys…and this is an Akron website?