Tour Dates
02/04/11 University Southampton, UK
02/05/11 O2 Academy, Bristol, UK 02/06/11 O2 Academy 2 Birmingham 02/08/11 O2 Academy Newcastle 02/09/11 O2 ABC, Glasgow 02/10/11 Academy, Dublin 02/11/11 Spring & Airbrake, Ireland 02/13/11 Ritz, Manchester 02/14/11 Metropolitan University, Leeds 02/15/11 Norwich Waterfront 02/17/11 Junction, Cambridge 02/18/11 O2 SHEPERDS 03/08/11 Virgin Mobile Metro Theatre 03/09/11 The Zoo, Brisbane 03/11/11 The Hi Fi. West End 03/12/11 Golden Plains Festival |
Wednesday night's Hold Steady gig at First Avenue was an interesting
mashup of the generations, a testament to the group's massive appeal
(locally, at least). It was the only show I've attended in recent
memory where drunk 50somethings could chant along with equally
plastered college kids, to music that is just as relevant to both of
them.
There was no question that the night belonged to Craig Finn, the group's exuberant frontman. He was positively beaming during every minute of the show, literally trembling due to his overwhelming enthusiasm. This wasn't nearly the case for the five bandmates he shared the stage with, but I suspect that most of the crowd was far too inebriated to take note of their slight indifference.
On stage Finn plays the part of a manically enthusiastic storyteller, often delivering a line and then lurching away from the mic to bark an utterly inaudible response to emphasize what he's just said, typically with an exaggerated accompanying gesture.
One of the more lively songs of the night was "Sequestered In Memphis", which ended as Finn frantically paced the length of the stage screaming sans microphone; a careful read of his lips revealing that he was repeating the song's final lyric ("I went there on business! On business! On business!!")
The audience was remarkably tepid during some of the material from the band's latest full-length, Heaven Is Whenever, indicating a band that is arguably past its prime, but still showing a decent amount of chutzpah as its members near their forties. These more languid moments were thankfully brief though, as the lengthy setlist was loaded with enough older tunes to keep everyone satisfied. Particularly rousing were Separation Sunday highlights "Your Little Hoodrat Friend" and "Stevie Nix", both of which feature lyrics that are peppered with references to the Twin Cities, which were often met with an uplifted drink from most in attendance (or simply a raised fist in the case of those few with X's on their hands).
The pinnacle of the evening was certainly when they ripped through the title track from 2008's Stay Positive, with its "oh oh oh, oh oh oh" refrain that anyone who wasn't completely blotto was undoubtedly shouting along to.
The Hold Steady make good on their reputation of being a solid live act, but one that is decidedly welcoming to fans of all ages, making their performance so agreeable that it fails to be anything extraordinarily noteworthy (in my opinion anyway). I suppose it's kind of like going to see the latest Pixar film - you and your parents can go and undoubtedly both enjoy it to some extent, but ultimately it's not anything you haven't seen before, just something common that is done by this specific outfit particularly well. They simply put on a damn fun rock 'n roll show, no more, no less.
There was no question that the night belonged to Craig Finn, the group's exuberant frontman. He was positively beaming during every minute of the show, literally trembling due to his overwhelming enthusiasm. This wasn't nearly the case for the five bandmates he shared the stage with, but I suspect that most of the crowd was far too inebriated to take note of their slight indifference.
On stage Finn plays the part of a manically enthusiastic storyteller, often delivering a line and then lurching away from the mic to bark an utterly inaudible response to emphasize what he's just said, typically with an exaggerated accompanying gesture.
One of the more lively songs of the night was "Sequestered In Memphis", which ended as Finn frantically paced the length of the stage screaming sans microphone; a careful read of his lips revealing that he was repeating the song's final lyric ("I went there on business! On business! On business!!")
The audience was remarkably tepid during some of the material from the band's latest full-length, Heaven Is Whenever, indicating a band that is arguably past its prime, but still showing a decent amount of chutzpah as its members near their forties. These more languid moments were thankfully brief though, as the lengthy setlist was loaded with enough older tunes to keep everyone satisfied. Particularly rousing were Separation Sunday highlights "Your Little Hoodrat Friend" and "Stevie Nix", both of which feature lyrics that are peppered with references to the Twin Cities, which were often met with an uplifted drink from most in attendance (or simply a raised fist in the case of those few with X's on their hands).
The pinnacle of the evening was certainly when they ripped through the title track from 2008's Stay Positive, with its "oh oh oh, oh oh oh" refrain that anyone who wasn't completely blotto was undoubtedly shouting along to.
The Hold Steady make good on their reputation of being a solid live act, but one that is decidedly welcoming to fans of all ages, making their performance so agreeable that it fails to be anything extraordinarily noteworthy (in my opinion anyway). I suppose it's kind of like going to see the latest Pixar film - you and your parents can go and undoubtedly both enjoy it to some extent, but ultimately it's not anything you haven't seen before, just something common that is done by this specific outfit particularly well. They simply put on a damn fun rock 'n roll show, no more, no less.
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♥ The Hold Steady - First Ave, Minneapolis (12/29/10) |
