Ohio-born rock stars the Black Keys are doing their part to keep the vinyl album comeback going.
On March 27, fans were able to start placing orders for a special version of Ohio Players, the new Black Keys album out April 5, in a color combination called Erie Blue & Rust Belt Red. The promotion is being done with the Cleveland Guardians of Major League Baseball. Fans can order the special vinyl as part of a ticket package for the team's April 20 home game vs. the Oakland A's.
The unique version also will be available at select music stores in Ohio on April 8, the date of the Guardians' home opener vs. the Chicago White Sox.
Ohio Players is the 12th album for the Black Keys, a duo made up of Akron, Ohio, natives Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney. The album title is inspired by the Dayton, Ohio, band of the same name that had several 1970s hits.
The Black Keys have been one of Ohio's must successful music acts of the last 25 years, selling more than five million albums in the U.S. alone and winning four Grammy awards. Their high-volume take on traditional rock and blues has won fans around the world.
Plastics News legend Bill Bregar was an early fan of the band, being neighbors with Carney's family in Akron. Bill saw one of the band's early shows at the Akron bar the Lime Spider.
My wife Regina and I were at one of the band's first big Cleveland shows at the Agora Ballroom. Regina remains upset that the band relocated from Ohio to Nashville in 2010.
As for the Guardians, the team won its won first game of the 2024 season March 28 in Oakland, Calif., vs. the A's. That means the team is undefeated since announcing the deal with the Black Keys. That's a pretty good omen for a franchise that hasn't won a championship since 1948.
As the saying goes: Cleveland Rocks!