Photo by Danny Clinch.
As a music writer, there are a few ways to measure what makes one show better than another. The way the crowd is involved; the energy level of the band; the sound of the venue; the length of the show; the quality of the opening acts. Sure, a lot of subjectivity and conjecture factor into any definition of “good.” But there’s one specific, fool-proof way to know when a show is top-tier, to know that it was one of the best: making it to the end of the show without having written down a single note on the experience. The performance was so engrossing that you couldn’t bare to pull your note pad (or phone, in my case) out of your pocket to document what was happening on stage. Friday night at the Neptune was one such occasion. Consequently, this review is being pulled entirely from memory, and what a performance it was.
The Hold Steady, from Brooklyn, is led by Minneapolis-born singer and principle songwriter Craig Finn. Each song Finn writes tends to have Minneapolis-based characters (sometimes repeating across multiple songs), an arc, and a climax, usually with a cheer that the audience can scream along to. In addition to Finn, the band is built in true “rock band” style: 2 guitars, a bass, and drums. Their sound has changed very little over their 11 year, six-album history, with one exception: the distinct lack of keyboards since the departure of Franz Nicolay in 2010. But the current five-man roster is a well-balanced machine of rock.
Their live show is unequaled in power, excitement, and adrenaline. Finn’s delivery is emphatic, filled with joy and power. Typically grinning from ear to ear, he is constantly beckoning the crowd to sing along, stepping away from the mic and moving to the edge of the stage, arms extended and yelling at the top of his lungs. He appears to be having the time of his life, clearly feeding off the collective energy of his worshipping fans.
And the fans — this was not a typical Seattle club scene. If you’ve gone to a show in Seattle, you’ve seen this happen: 4 to 5 guys, in the middle of the floor, clearly wasted and attempting to get the rest of the crowd around them to bounce, slam and yell along with them, succeeding in nothing but annoying everyone. That behavior usually inspires long drawn-out sighs, extreme eye rolling, and the occasional well-positioned and rigid elbow from notoriously passive-aggressive Seattleites. But not The Hold Steady’s crowd. This was a lively, fully-engrossed and thoroughly vigorous audience. “You all could have chosen to stay home, cozy on your couch,” said Finn. “But instead, you chose to come here, to enjoy some rock and roll with other like-minded folks. For that, we thank you.” Not once in my 17-year time in Seattle have I seen a crowd so in sync, so content to get sweaty and fully invested in those around them. There was crowd surfing. There was mass moshing. There was even a stage dive, and it was glorious. Every bit of it.
The band’s set covered the gamut of their long history. Their 2014 album, Teeth Dreams, was well-represented, with four songs in the 21-song set. Most of the songs had the hard core fans singing along to every word, which is somewhat surprising given the amount of non-repeating lyrics in Finn’s songs. Hits from their 2006 album Boys and Girls in America and 2008’s Stay Positive had the most universal appeal, when the mosh pit would grow from 15 to 20 raucous individuals to what felt like one, 200-strong, fully enthralled mass.
It’s been years since I’ve enjoyed a show as much as this two hour set of guitar-centered American rock and roll from Craig Finn and company. There were a lot of shows happening Friday night that I was interested in — Modest Mouse at the Showbox, OK Go at Neumos, Jesse Sykes at the Fremont Abbey — but I ended up at the Hold Steady, and I am so glad I did. The show generated a glut of elation-based memories that will stick with me forever.
The Hold Steady are heading south and east for the next month or so, before turning homeward at the end of August. Then a European tour starts up in October. Go see them. Trust me, this is not an experience you can go through life without having felt yourself.
