The Hold Steady @ First Avenue (07.22.08)

So, I think it's impossible to not have a good time at a Hold Steady show. The band won't let you, the ebullient crowd won't let you, and the party music itself won't let you. So, I obviously had a good time at the highly sold out show last night at First Avenue. But...something was amiss. It wasn't the typical transcendent live show that The Hold Steady have put on in the past. It was good, but not great. Perhaps the band had set the bar so high in the previous 5 or 6 times I've seen them, that the standard was nearly impossible to match. For any other band, last night's show would have been an absolute triumph, but for The Hold Steady, it was simply a good homecoming show, but compared to past First Ave. shows, something was lacking to make this a truly memorable show.

Coming onstage to 'Let's Go Crazy' certainly was a good start, with the crowd already dancing before they even played a note. And the energy and buzz that comes with just seeing a band like The Hold Steady stroll on stage, especially in Minneapolis, was certainly there, as the band tore into 'Constructive Summer,' the opening track from their new record, 'Stay Positive.' The crowd up front was a swarm of pogoing and fists thrown into the air. It was a great beginning to the show, and they kept the energy up with a good rendition of 'Hot Soft Light.' But the vibrant start waned a bit with a somewhat lackluster 'Chips Ahoy,'(I've always found this tune to be rather goofy, anyway) followed by the first single from the new record, 'Sequestered In Memphis,' which I find to be rather repetitive and flat on record, and live it was a touch better, but the band were reaching for an energy that the enthusiastic and adoring crowd couldn't provide. The crowd also couldn't do anything about the muddy mix from the soundboard, with Craig's vocals barely audible at times, and Galen's bass really overwhelming the sound-which is unfortunate because they are a band whose songs are driven by the lyrics and Craig's storytelling.

It was at this point that I decided to take in the show from a different vantage point (to see if the sound was better elsewhere, and to get a beer), so I left the frantic confines of the main floor for the balcony. And, unfortunately, the sound was just as muddy up there, if not more so. The band meandered through a few newer tracks ('Yeah Saphire' & 'One For The Cutters') that, while good, didn't quite resonate as much as I would've liked, and even 'Stevie Nix' seemed a little tame, compared to past times I've seen that song performed live. It wasn't until 'Massive Nights,' that things really picked up again, with the rousing chorus making for a club-wide singalong, and it was a treat to hear 'Two Handed Handshake,' a new album bonus track, performed live for the first time, with Tad really leading the way with his frantic guitar work, and the lyrics 'We had First Ave on Fridays, we're pirates in port, We go in and get high, two at a time, we get drunk on the sport.' obviously finding it's intended audience, but the song would have benifitted from the catchy horns used on the album version.

 But just when it appeared that the spark had been set to take this show to another level, they slowed things down with back to back new album ballads 'Joke About Jamaica' and 'Lord, I'm Discouraged,' that were both good, but the momentum that was building was lost temporarily. Until 'Hoodrat,' that is. The band killed it, and the crowd responded in kind, with the whole floor awash with mad dancing. It was this song that caused me to wish that the rest of the show prior to that had been filled with this unabashed energy and zest. But they built on that momentum by tearing through the title track of the new record, with the crowd again singing along with everything they had, because, after all, "The singalong songs will be our scriptures." They closed the main set with an impassioned 'Slapped Actress,' that built to a stirring climax that had the crowd serenading the band as they left the stage.

Other than Craig drunkenly forgetting and flubbing the spoken word intro to 'Positive Jam,' (blushing and embarrassed, he continually looked to the audience for help with the lyrics, which they did in full voice), the encores were boisterous and loud. 'Stuck Between Stations,' has turned into a Twin City anthem, and was, in my opinion, the high point of the set. 'How A Resurrection Really Feels,' was a benevolent ode to having your life saved, that had Craig and the band dancing around the stage, completely connecting with the amiring audience. And when they triumphantly left the stage, I felt the night might be over. But the deafening applause brought the band out for another encore. 'Certain Songs' seemed like a direct thank you to Minneapolis for sticking with the band through the years, and was passionate and perfect. It couldn't really be a Hold Steady show without 'Killer Parties' being played, and the band obliged, complete with Craig's "There is so much joy in what we do," speech, that never gets old, nor ever comes across as false or contrived. He, and the band, mean it. They are legitimately having the time of their lives on stage, and that joy is transferred naturally to the audience. Which is why it's impossible to not have a good time at a Hold Steady show. The crowd had one last chance after Craig's speech to go crazy and visibly show the band how good a time they were having, and they didn't disappoint, with the entire main floor bouncing in time to the music, lost in the good time that is, and always will be, a killer party.

So, there really was no other place to be last evening. Seeing The Hold Steady at First Avenue is something any fan of the band should try and do at least once. They love the club, and always pour their hearts out when they play here (as they do everywhere, of course), and last night was certainly no exception. It was a fun night, and a good show, but everyone wanted something magical, and perhaps that was too much to ask. The Hold Steady simply might have set the expectations of their fans so high with their incredible live show, that anything less than magic might seem to be a disappointment. And no one walks away from a Hold Steady show disappointed, it's not allowed. I'm still smiling, even though my head hurts, I didn't get nearly enough sleep before work this morning, and my clothes from last night are covered in booze and sweat, but I wouldn't want it any other way. It almost killed me. Almost.

SETLIST:

Constructive Summer
Hot Soft Light
Chips Ahoy!
Sequestered In Memphis
Yeah Sapphire
One For The Cutters
Stevie Nix
Hot Fries
Magazines
Sweet Payne
Party Pit
Massive Nights
Two Handed Handshake (First Time Played Live)
Joke About Jamaica
Lord, I'm Discouraged
Your Little Hoodrat Friend
Stay Positive
Slapped Actress
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Positive Jam
Stuck Between Stations
How A Resurrection Really Feels
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Certain Songs
Killer Parties