The Black Keys (& Raveonettes & Beyonce) playing 1st shows @ Revel Resorts in AC (meanwhile MSG again tonight)
The Black Keys (t-shirts) @ MSG last week (more by Dana (distortion) Yavin)
As it turns out, Beyoncé Knowles will not be the first artist to sing at the new Ovation Hall at Revel Resorts in Atlantic City. This morning, the casino hotel — which will celebrate its grand opening on May 25 with the first of three Beyoncé concerts — announced an Ovation Hall show a week prior to the big date. The Black Keys, the Grammy-winning Akron blues-rock duo with a lovably grimy sound, will appear at Revel on May 19. Tickets for the Black Keys concert go on sale March 30 at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster.
Technically, the Keys won’t be the first act to play at Revel, either. The hotel is opening a second performance space called the Social, a smaller room than the 5000-seat Ovation Hall. (This is likely to be similar to the division at the Borgata — the Event Center handles the really big acts, and the Music Box takes care of the more intimate shows.) Revel is planning a soft opening — they’re calling it an eight-week preview — on Apr. 2, and the casino is marking the occasion with a Social performance by Danish noise-pop the Raveonettes.
It’s shaping up as a big spring and summer for popular music in Atlantic City. In addition to the Beyoncé shows on May 25, 26, and 27, Phish are scheduled to play a three-night stand at the disused Bader Field Airport on June 15, 16, and 17. A week later, Metallica brings its Orion Music + More festival to the same location. Bader Field successfully hosted the Dave Matthews Caravan last June.
Beyonce tickets go on sale April 6 at Ticketmaster. The Black Keys play their 2nd of 2 shows at NYC’s Madison Square Garden with the Arctic Monkeys TONIGHT (3/22). Pictures from the first are HERE.
UPDATE: and The Black Keys will be co-headlining a new NYC festival this summer too!
