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| Craig Finn of the Hold Steady - Photo by Stacy Schwartz |
Nearly all of the songs from the band’s 2006 release, Boys and Girls in America, approximately half of 2005’s Separation Sunday and three songs from their 2004 debut, The Hold Steady Almost Killed Me, made up the set, in addition to a few new tunes, “Lord Don’t Discontinue,” “Magazines” and “Ask Her for Adderall.” Standouts included “You Can Make Him Like You,” “Southtown Girls” (including three-part audience participation), “Your Little Hoodrat Friend” and “Killer Parties.”
A friend from college used to say she wanted to be on “The Real World” (before roommate hot-tub triple kisses became mandatory) just so her life could be set to a soundtrack. THS provided just that for those of us who grew up in the Twin Cities. Although the band now calls Brooklyn, N.Y., home, their Minnesota roots populated the lyrics and stage banter. Finn’s frequent references to local landmarks and icons – the Mississippi River, City Center, the Grain Belt Bridge, the Golden Gophers – felt like a high-school yearbook entry, reminiscing about the good times we all had together.
Finn explained that when they kicked off the band in 2003, he wanted to drink some beer and play music with some friends. “We played one show, then another show, then we opened for the Stones … and now we’re here.”
Like many Midwestern men, Finn’s dance skills are unpolished (let’s be honest) but his exuberance overshadows his spastic, jerky technique. His clothes were more Brooklyn than Brooklyn Park; his often-worn Twins jersey traded for a button-down shirt and low-riding, hanging-on-by-his-belt jeans.
The Hold Steady - Photo by Stacy Schwartz (click photo for full set)
Between taking pulls off of the Jim Beam bottle at the back of the stage, keyboardist Franz Nicolay nearly stole the show. His suit/cap/curled-up mustache look might be all silent-movie villain, but his jumping-jack high kicks were all Richard Simmons. One friend, inspired by Nicolay, admitted he “hadn’t played that much air keyboard since the last Hall and Oates tour.”
Except for fans whose favorite songs didn’t get played, (“Hornets! Hornets!,” “Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night” and “Most People are DJs,” “First Night” and “The Swish” were all omitted) the only complaints centered around the venue. While the grandness of the State made for a dramatic homecoming for Finn and company, sound in the balcony was poor. And while fans made the best of it – most stood for the whole show, rare at the State – the distance between the band and the crowd and the lack of a “Party Pit” made many long for the good old days at First Ave.
Party Pit
Hot Soft Light
Chips Ahoy!
Cattle and the Creeping Things
Ask Her for Adderall
Stuck Between Stations
Massive Night
Magazines
Same Kooks
Banging Camp
Barfruit Blues
Lord Don’t Discontinue
You Can Make Him Like You
Your Little Hoodrat Friend
Stevie Nix
Positive Jam
Multitude of Casualties
Southtown Girls
Killer Parties
Location Info:
State Theatre
Artist Info: The Hold Steady
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