| « Duran Duran - and Then There Were Four | Reviewing the Reviewers » |
Concert Fri Oct 27 2006
The Hold Steady Totally Killed Me...
...and the rest of the Metro last night. Maybe I've just been to too many Strokes concerts, but it's always a treat to see a band that likes playing concerts, and I don't think there's any band I've seen that wants to play for you more than the Hold Steady. These guys are showmen. Frontman Craig Finn grinned throughout the 1.5-hour show, swigging beers and passing a liter of Jameson between his bandmates. Bassist Galen Polivka jumped on things (drum kit), sat on things (monitor), and flung one-dollar bills into the first three rows (which were packed, it seemed, with the very teenagers that Hold Steady songs are about). Guitarist Tad Kubler wandered in and out of the crowd (to much delight) and passed his guitar to an audience member while he worked the wah-wah pedal. A friend observed afterwards that it must be great to be in a band at this point in the arc of fame—three great albums, sold out club shows, a rabid fanbase—and the Hold Steady are certainly enjoying themselves. (The rest of my pictures are here.)
