The Joe Rogan ExperienceJoe Rogan Experience #1815 - The Black Keys
CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 1:33
New album praise and the secret of Black Keys consistency
Joe opens by raving about The Black Keys’ new record and asks how they stay so consistently “classic Black Keys.” Pat and Dan frame it as two decades of learning each other’s timing, shared taste, and a brother-like bond that keeps the creative engine steady.
- 1:33 – 3:00
Basement recording beginnings: four-tracks, bathrooms, and DIY gear
Pat and Dan rewind to late-’90s Akron, experimenting with four-track cassette recording, improvised mic placements, and the joy of discovery. The conversation highlights how lo-fi tinkering and self-teaching shaped their aesthetic long before they had resources.
- 3:00 – 4:03
How they became The Black Keys (and the Alfred McMoore voicemail story)
The origin of the band’s name comes from an outsider artist who left bizarre, repeated voicemails for their families. That inside joke becomes the instant band name—and a reminder of how tightly their Akron lives were intertwined.
- 4:03 – 6:10
First record deal, rat-infested basement sessions, and learning by guessing
They describe landing a small-label deal that paid no money—forcing them to record, mix, and finish everything themselves in Pat’s basement. The “Richmond Place” era is equal parts grim (dead rats, no cell phones) and foundational for their sound.
- 6:10 – 13:26
First tours in a minivan: border lies, hostels, weed paranoia, and Santa suits
The band’s earliest touring is portrayed as chaotic survival travel—paper maps, tiny guarantees, and constant weirdness. Stories include crossing into Canada by lying about work permits, a sketchy hostel haze, and a bizarre late-night encounter with crowds in Santa outfits.
- 13:26 – 19:31
Outsider music rabbit hole: Tonetta, The Shaggs, and one-of-a-kind blues players
Joe introduces Tonetta’s ultra-DIY music, sparking a broader discussion about outsider art and character-over-fidelity recordings. Pat brings up The Shaggs, and they connect these oddball examples to the tradition of self-taught blues innovators.
- 19:31 – 24:07
Old blues, Robert Johnson myths, and preserving disappearing juke-joint culture
The conversation shifts to foundational blues figures and how context matters when listening to old recordings. Pat and Dan discuss their Delta Cream project and visiting Mississippi hill country blues sites, including the historic Blue Front Café.
- 24:07 – 30:55
Why live music is transformative: Link Wray, Hendrix proximity, Sabbath footage
They reflect on the unique “drug-like” power of live performance versus recordings. Dan recounts a life-changing Link Wray show, Joe shares Phil Hartman’s Hendrix-at-the-Whisky story, and they geek out over Black Sabbath live footage and the toll of rock lifestyles.
- 30:55 – 37:56
Stimulants, modern chaos, and the internet’s toxicity (Adderall to Twitter spats)
From WWII amphetamine history, the talk pivots to modern stimulants and how they may fuel social conflict. Pat tells an Adderall experience that kept him hyper-focused for an entire day, and they explore online negativity, fake positivity, and the pressures social media places on kids.
- 37:56 – 46:54
High school stories turned into art: fights, sex-ed shock tactics, and dark scandals
Pat describes a pre-smartphone high school environment filled with intense fights and chaotic personalities—material they later channeled into a video concept. The tone turns darker with stories of school staff crimes, prompting Joe to discuss predation and cycles of abuse.
- 46:54 – 1:07:28
Drugs, MKUltra-era lore, UFO believers, and billionaire yacht conspiracy vibes
They veer into psychedelics, CIA experiments, and how easy it is to become a ‘believer’ in conspiracies. Pat recounts Tom DeLonge’s UFO monologue before a show, then the discussion balloons into oligarch yachts, armed dolphins, cat toxoplasmosis, and the surreal theater of extreme wealth.
- 1:07:28 – 1:21:34
Nature anxiety tour: alligators, invasive pythons, rats in toilets, and owl attacks
A long run of animal stories connects fear, fascination, and modern ecological imbalance. Pat’s Charleston-area alligator encounters lead into Florida’s python invasion, then they riff on rats, owls as ruthless predators, and viral bird-on-bird hunting footage.
- 1:21:34 – 1:27:08
Toxins and the Rust Belt: leaded gas, asbestos, Rubber Factory, and deindustrialization
They connect environmental contamination to public health—leaded gasoline’s IQ impacts, lead paint, asbestos exposure, and industrial waste. The conversation returns to Akron’s tire-industry rise and collapse, the eerie abandoned spaces where they recorded Rubber Factory, and how union dynamics and outsourcing reshaped cities like Akron and Detroit.
- 1:27:08 – 2:12:25
Scams, belief, and music business realities: prank calls, cult logic, ‘sellout’ myths
Pat shares elaborate prank call stories that reveal how easily people buy into authority, fantasy, and manipulation—mirroring broader scam/cult dynamics. They tie this to entertainment, from evangelist grifts to Theranos, and then to their own early-career fears about licensing songs and being labeled sellouts.
- 2:12:25 – 3:42:12
COVID-era recording and getting sick: Delta variant, treatment access, monoclonals
Near the end, Joe circles back to the album’s creation during COVID restrictions, and both musicians describe catching COVID while recording. Dan details a severe stretch with fever and frustration over accessing treatments like monoclonal antibodies, underscoring how uncertain medical pathways felt at the time.
