The Hold Steady

I'm sure it'd be a good show. Just probably not anywhere near the same intensity of a Hold Steady show.

DeathoftheCool wrote:

I'm in the same boat for tomorrow's show in SF. Shiiiiiiit

are you thinking about going to the Bottom of the Hill one? Just an added bonus, it hands down the best venue ever.

simo wrote:

I'm sure it'd be a good show. Just probably not anywhere near the same intensity of a Hold Steady show.

Obviously not. Its still Craig Finn playing music. I'm sure it will be its own flavor of magical.

Yeah, definitely.

Really wanted to catch one of his solo shows, and he was/is doing plenty within a reasonable distance of where I live but all are 18/21+.

Did you guys see his Tiny Desk concert? It was really great although I'm pretty sure his guitar was out of tune and it bugged me. Played an unreleased song, too.

His guitar was definitely out of tune haha. And yeah gospelchoir i was thinking about going to bottom of the hill but my friend bailed and since I'm 17 I can't drive past 11, so it's a sticky situation

Pedal Steel guitar on the tiny desk concert is great!

"Own flavor of magic" certainly summed up his show well. I don't think it quite topped a regular Hold Steady show, but it was still all kinds of fantastic. Finn actually looked a little more in place than he does with THS (he has always struck me as the rock star that looks the least like a rockstar). Stuck with solo stuff (except for an amazing cover of Jesus Save Me to close out the night), but included a bunch of stuff not on the record which were as good as if not better than most stuff on the actual record (especially Keep On Running and Jeremiah's Blues). If you have a chance to go see him, definitely do so. If you had a chance and missed it, start work on building a time machine =)

http://www.pitchfork.com/news/45771-the-hold-steadys-craig-finn-makes-his-own-beer/

url says it all

This is amazing news, i need a crate of this!!

I'm gonna be seeing these guys live tomorrow night, which I'm stoked for because THS areright up there with Gaslight, Lucero, and Drive-By Truckers in being my all time favourite bands and a cut above the rest. It made me realise I haven't really listened to any of their songs for a good 3 or 4 months. Giving Craig Finn's solo record the first listen in a couple of months as well and it's better than I remembered, No Future is definitely a solid track that I over looked.

2nd fav current band behind TGA. Finn's lyrics are epic literature...Separation Sunday might be the best lyrical album of the last decade.

gtalbott wrote:

2nd fav current band behind TGA. Finn's lyrics are epic literature...Separation Sunday might be the best lyrical album of the last decade.

THIS. Except I personally like Heaven is Whenever and Stay Positive more.

NYYFAN523 wrote:

gtalbott wrote:

2nd fav current band behind TGA. Finn's lyrics are epic literature...Separation Sunday might be the best lyrical album of the last decade.

THIS. Except I personally like Heaven is Whenever and Stay Positive more.

I think I just might like Stay Positive more than Sink or Swim and American Slang, there I said it!

Interesting you say that about Heaven is Whenever because the general impression I get from HS fans all round is it's their weakest work. I for one have a funny relationship with that album. I have known and liked The Hold Steady since I first heard Your Little Hoodrat Friend on some skating video game when I was 8 or 9 but it wasn't until I randomly decided to listen to HIW on an aeroplane when I recognized the name "The Hold Steady" on Air New Zealands surprisingly diverse music in-flight music selection, two years ago that I fell in love. I spent the next few months discovering all of THS's other albums and realised that by comparison HIW was nowhere near as impressive and in turn began to dislike the album. As I've gone back to THS in the last couple of days after taking a 3 or 4 months break I'm really digging it again for the first time in years.

I think Heaven is Whenever is really strong lyrically but held back a bit by the production.

NYYFAN523 wrote:

gtalbott wrote:

2nd fav current band behind TGA. Finn's lyrics are epic literature...Separation Sunday might be the best lyrical album of the last decade.

THIS. Except I personally like Heaven is Whenever and Stay Positive more.

I'm definitely with you on that. I started with Stay Positive and loved it, so I worked backwards but didn't really like the other albums. I don't know why, I guess I could never get used to the "sing-speak" or whatever it's called. But I eventually got Heaven is Whenever and loved it. The title track is one of their best songs in my opinion.

OldManShoes3 wrote:

NYYFAN523 wrote:

gtalbott wrote:

2nd fav current band behind TGA. Finn's lyrics are epic literature...Separation Sunday might be the best lyrical album of the last decade.

THIS. Except I personally like Heaven is Whenever and Stay Positive more.

I'm definitely with you on that. I started with Stay Positive and loved it, so I worked backwards but didn't really like the other albums. I don't know why, I guess I could never get used to the "sing-speak" or whatever it's called. But I eventually got Heaven is Whenever and loved it. The title track is one of their best songs in my opinion.

Took time for me to warm up to the barking sing-speak of early albums...but seriously: Separation Sunday. Best lyrical album from a modern band I've ever heard. If anything, just read the lyrics like a book.

I literally didn't even hear of them until last year. Saw that they had 5 albums and tried to do it right. Got all of them in order, listened to each for a few weeks before moving on. At this point Boys and Girls is probably my favorite release from the gang.

gtalbott wrote:

OldManShoes3 wrote:

NYYFAN523 wrote:

gtalbott wrote:

2nd fav current band behind TGA. Finn's lyrics are epic literature...Separation Sunday might be the best lyrical album of the last decade.

THIS. Except I personally like Heaven is Whenever and Stay Positive more.

I'm definitely with you on that. I started with Stay Positive and loved it, so I worked backwards but didn't really like the other albums. I don't know why, I guess I could never get used to the "sing-speak" or whatever it's called. But I eventually got Heaven is Whenever and loved it. The title track is one of their best songs in my opinion.

Took time for me to warm up to the barking sing-speak of early albums...but seriously: Separation Sunday. Best lyrical album from a modern band I've ever heard. If anything, just read the lyrics like a book.

Yeah I definitely agree about the lyrics. I just need to force myself to listen to Separation Sunday a bunch of times and it'll probably grow on me, but I've never really had the desire to try that. I do love How a Resurrection Really Feels though.

I love the album but I'll admit Seperation Sunday does blend into one long "shouting a story over music" session but there are a few hidden gems there if you look hard enough such as Your Little Hoodrat Friend, Banging Camp and as you mentioned HARRF.

Was great to see the world's best bar in band in an actual bar. The atmosphere was a lot better than the last THS show I went to, and I got to briefly chat to Tad after the show.

I've seen them twice. Once in a club and once at an outdoor festival. Gotta admit they were surprisingly great in both situations. Usually I'm not a big festival fan, but something about THS closing out a hot summer evening outside was perfect. Although they weren't originally slated to headline but got moved into the spot when The Roots cancelled.

Do they have anyone playing keys these days? I wish they'd bring that back, although the 3 guitar lineup does rock.

I'd kill for keys again, but not just that also the crazy presence Franz brings to the band and the way he and Craig bounce off of each other. With the exception of Sequestered in Memphis where it took me a while to even realise they were playing that song, it's surprisingly not too lacking without keys.

Caught them in Seattle in October and in Omaha mid-June. Craig is one of the best showmen in rock today! And they mostly make up for lack of keys with the addition of Steve as 3rd guitar.