Dave Paulson

dnpaulson@tennessean.com

Considering they're one of the biggest modern rock bands in the world – and one that just put out the No. 1 album in the country – these days, you usually won't see the Black Keys performing in any space more intimate than your local sports arena.

But on Tuesday night, the Grammy-winning blues-rock duo made an exception for the city they now call home, playing a private show for a few hundred fans at Nashville's Mercy Lounge.

The concert was presented by satellite radio service SiriusXM and broadcast live on its "Alt Nation" channel. SiriusXM subscribers won spots on the guest list through various giveaways, and the band also hid a few pairs of tickets around town on Tuesday afternoon, posting photos of their locations on Twitter.

Singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney hit the top of the charts after slugging it out in rock clubs for roughly a decade, and though they now command larger stages, they seemed right at home back at Mercy — a venue they last played in 2006. The heady, twisting tunes from their new album "Turn Blue" fit right in too, benefiting from the close-up treatment. Some of the tracks, like album closer "Gotta Get Away," have only been performed live a handful of times.

The band (bolstered by touring musicians Richard Swift and John Clement Wood) also churned out its longtime crowd-pleasers: "Tighten Up," "Gold On the Ceiling" and "Lonely Boy" among them them. "Turn Blue's" first single, the punchy, Farfisa organ-driven number "Fever," seems on its way to joining their ranks. Unlike fellow Nashville blues-rock giant Jack White, the Keys didn't discourage the audience from snapping photos, and smartphones were hoisted high during the biggest hits.

Auerbach and Carney relocated to Nashville from their hometown of Akron at the end of 2010, just as their sixth album, "Brothers," was turning them into mainstream stars. Though they've been visible, vocal supporters of Music City, Tuesday marked just their second concert in a Nashville venue since the move. At one point, Auerbach remarked that the band was playing its "hometown" tonight, too, and the crowd hooted in approval.

Tuesday's show wasn't just one of the biggest a Nashville rock club has recently seen — it was also one of the most punctual, thanks to the live broadcast window. The band hit the stage promptly at 9 p.m., and hit their final chord, waved and shuffled off at 10.

The concert will be rebroadcast later this week (times TBA) and will be available on SiriusXM On Demand on Friday, May 30.

If you weren't able to score a spot to Tuesday's show, you'll have your chance to see The Black Keys back in Nashville on December 8 – when they perform at Bridgestone Arena.