Back in 2002, when I lived in Cleveland, I'd catch the Black Keys in small venues like the Beachland Tavern. Nothing about the scrappy Akron, Ohio, blues-rock duo screamed out "potential rock megastars"—not even their decent cover of the Beatles' "She Said, She Said." To be honest, nothing still screams out "rock megastars," but there's no denying these rust-belt muthas worked hard to reach their rarefied heights. They may seem ultra-meat-and-potatoes-y to me, but Dan Auerbach can sing with barrel-chested, Paul Rodgers-esque soul and grind out catchy guitar riffs all damn night, and drummer Patrick Carney's perfectly functional and unflashy. DAVE SEGAL

Tickets go on sale 2/28 at 10 a.m.