Thursday Nov. 6th, The Black Keys were opened by Nottingham’s Jake Bugg. Fresh-faced and minimal in showmanship, Bugg captivated a sparse crowd with his everylad storytelling not unlike a budding Johnny Cash. While Bugg might seem too young to have a dog in this throwback-fight, it is his youth that makes his perspective powerful. “Trouble Town” has a rockabilly quality with the cleverly biting opening and closing lyric “Stuck in speed bump city where the only thing that’s pretty is the thought of getting out.” Bugg has the quality of a lovable busker – a Dyalnesque troubadour with poetic folk sensibilities and maybe even a little sardonic teenage ennui. Behind his acoustic guitar he is comfortable and confident. “Lightning Bolt” was a an upbeat country-folk number with a small-town swagger that got fans in the front row tapping their feet. His style sounds one part British guitar pop, one part authentic American folk, and maybe a pinch of Turner-tongued raconteur. Ultimately his callow-but-promising narratives make him one worth listening to if not for the ambitiously catchy folk-stomps alone.  Photos for BUZZBANDS.LA