The Hold Steady at Pearl Street: 'Fun is awesome'

Let's just say it: The Hold Steady is the best live band in America right now.

I've seen 'em three times this year, and two of those performances are the best I've seen in 2006. The band's show Friday at Pearl Street, to wrap this fall's tour, was one of them. The shows have incredible energy, and it's always clear the musicians love what they're doing and approach it with a sense of wonder. If you want to rock with the Hold Steady, the Hold Steady is thrilled it gets to rock you.

Part of the vibe Friday stemmed from a delirious end-of-the-road-trip air, part of it from the fact that singer Craig Finn has roots in Northampton, where his grandmother lived. "There's a church on Main Street called St. Mary's, and that's where I was baptized," Finn said before the band played a note. "So I'd like to thank Northampton for cleansing me of original sin."

And they were off, launching into "Stuck Between Stations." The song started strong, but Finn demonstrated just what kind of night it was going to be when he fairly leapt into the verse about John Barryman, and the band was in high gear from then on.

Finn's stage banter was, as usual, worth jotting down. While comparing old-school hardcore punk with the newer stuff, he said, "New-school hardcore seems to me to be like your friend hitting on a girl who doesn't want to be hit on. It's pretty embarrassing for everyone."

Later, after the sold-out audience gave the band a particularly rousing ovation, Finn responded, "Can we make a deal? Next time we play Buffalo, you all come with us?"

Toward the end, when guitarist Tad Kubler was attempting to express how much the tour, and the fervent support of fans, has meant to him and the band, Finn offered a concise summary: "Fun is awesome."

The band was on for about 70 minutes, including the encore, and members of the opening act, Catfish Haven, joined them toward the end. By the last tune, "Killer Parties," a bunch of people from the crowd had climbed up on stage and it was indeed one big killer party.

As we stood outside afterward talking to Brendan, who booked the show for IHEG, he spotted a couple making out against a wall across the street and he said, "Look! Boys and girls in America!" In fact, it was a perfect illustration of what Craig Finn is singing about on the new record.

The Hold Steady's set list Friday night:

1. Stuck Between Stations
2. The Swish
3. Cattle & The Creeping Things
4. Chips Ahoy!
5. You Can Make Him Like You
6. Party Pit
7. Massive Nights
8. Multitude of Casualties
9. Stevie Nix
10. Chillout Tent
11. Your Little Hoodrat Friend
12. Hot Soft Light
13. Southtown Girls
Encore
14. First Night
15. Hornets! Hornets!
16. Killer Parties

Comments

[FRONZ]

I saw the first show at the Masonic Lodge in Hamden and the last show at Pearl Street. The energy of the band was the same. The energy of the crowd was similar. The band was tighter which touring will do. They played a bit longer. The end result: two of the best shows I've seen this year. They've put out the best album of the year. I wish they would do one killer cover. Tad told me in Hamden that they occasionally play "Against the Wind". How cool would that have been. The only thing I disagree with Eric on is The HS being the "best live Band". I still believe that adage goes to the mighty Drive-By Truckers. But being 2nd best ain't bad.

"Boys & Girls in America" should rush to see The Hold Steady.

By the way I've got 18+ yaers on the 34 year old father. Old rockers just go on but hang out in the back of the club.

[Alan E. Zoll]

I'm a 34-year-old father of two and I was at the show, right up there on stage at the end with all the twenty-something college kids. An amazing performance from a band of unmatched exuberance. Who says rock & roll is dead? The Hold Steady, Raconteurs, Strokes...it was great to see Craig Finn pouring his heart into the crowd and dozens of fans mouthing his prophetic verse right back at him. It was almost Springsteen-ian.