The Black Keys might be a couple of no-frills garage-rockers with a low-key demeanor in interviews, but their rise to success hasn’t been hurt by their willingness to engage in Internet-friendly oddness (ladies and gentlemen, Derrick T. Tuggle). If you’re like us, the Akron, Ohio duo’s new video for sweat-inducing single “Fever” might’ve caused you to spend as much time puzzling over your cell phone as staring at a YouTube window.
Directed by Theo Wenner (yes, of the Rolling Stone Wenners), the clip from May 13 album Turn Blue features frontman Dan Auerbach as a televangelist, as drummer Patrick Carney looks on from his side. The entire time, a phone number — 1 (646) 397-6172 — flashes at the bottom of the screen, accompanied by the text “call now!” and then a list of people contributing to the cause
Now, the Black Keys announced their 2011 album El Camino through a phone number in ads offering to sell a van, so we called. Didn’t donate any money, but did hear a man’s voice saying, “I’m calling because I’m interested in your releasing my album.” The rest was frankly a little difficult to make out, but with any luck Keys pal Mike Tyson will be along soon to explain.
By the end of the video, as in Disclosure’s 2013 “When a Fire Starts to Burn” visuals, the assembled religious masses are really feeling the spirit.
UPDATE: Also hear the Black Keys’ new song “Bullet in the Brain.”
