The Hold Steady

There are a lot of people who all-out hate Lee’s Palace, but even they would agree that the venue fit The Hold Steady’s concerts last Saturday and Sunday perfectly.  I attended on Saturday, and so I obviously can’t judge their second show, but something tells me that Craig Finn and his band wouldn’t fall victim to the fatigue/boredom of second-night shows.

Watching Finn perform is like watching the nicest, happiest guy at a party dance and smile for two hours.  Come to think of it, that’s kind of what a Hold Steady show seems to be like in general (though I don’t know what Craig Finn is like as a person; I’m sure he’s charming).  Yelling  lyrics joyfully into the crowd, dancing carelessly one second and leaning blissfully on the mic stand the next, he’s one of the more unique stage presences we have with us today.

Opening and closing with a call-to-arms (“We are all The Hold Steady!” Finn declared), the show admittedly focused on the harder, more straight-up rock ‘n’ roll numbers than the slower songs.  But that’s okay, because The Hold Steady are one of those bands that take their cues from influences (Bruce Springsteen, The Replacements; Finn even did a monologue near the middle of the show that saluted Minneapolis and all its bands) that make the grandiosity sincere by juxtaposing it all with witty phrases and touching sentiments.

Keyboardist Franz Nicolay was also in top form, emerging in a brown suit and fedora that made him look like he’d just stepped out of a grainy photo of a group of gold prospectors, circa 1898.  It was actually a bit creepy at first, but as he tipped his hat to the audience, jumped up and down like a giddy child and came up with some gorgeous glissandos, his company felt warm and inviting.

As for the songs: they were certainly admirable for not just going with the ones from Boys and Girls in America or Stay Positive – there were a fair amount of earlier songs thrown in, though the anthemic choruses of “Sequestered in Memphis” and “Massive Nights” were certainly highlights.  And the one-two punch in the encore of “Constructive Summer” and “Stuck Between Stations” was indeed the apex.

I usually hate the school of thought that says a non-fan can be turned into a fan by a live show – typically, if you dislike an artist, you’re going to dislike the music in general, no matter how well they can dance.  This concert, though, gave me that feeling that the concert could convert non-fans; in fact, the person I went with was one of those.

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MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/theholdsteady