The Hold Steady – Koko
Wednesday night Andy and I caught a good show from The Hold Steady at nearby Koko. I’ve complained before about this venue – it just seems so much more crowded than other sold out shows – but tonight we actually headed up to the third level and managed to get a decent view that wasn't super-crowded.
Previously I’ve only seen The Hold Steady perform live at the Carnegie Hall Springsteen tribute last Easter – which only amounted to one song (albeit a sensational version of “Atlantic City”) so I was excited to see them play a full show.
As with the Springsteen tribute – frontman Craig Finn is a bundle of infectious energy: constantly bouncing around the stage, singing and shouting to the crowd off-mic, clapping his hands and grinning like a loon.
It certainly got the crowd dancing and moshing in unison – especially with early performances of better known songs like “Stuck Between Stations” and “Chips Ahoy”.
I’ve actually been listening to their most recent album ‘Boys and Girls in America’ for almost two years now – so having read the band have recently completed recording their new album, it was great to hear a few new songs.
I believe “Stay Positive” will be the title track to the album, and on first listen it sounded like a great crunchy rocker. The other newie was “Constructive Summer” which also sounded pretty good (and I’m pretty sure included a very cool name-check of Joe Strummer, rhymed with summer!).
The main set lasted almost exactly an hour, and the band returned for a three song encore, closing with “Killer Parties”. A great show, and you certainly got the sense from frontman Finn that if they could, the band would have keep playing for another couple of hours.
Full(ish) setlist:
Hot Soft Light
Stuck Between Stations
The Swish
Chips Ahoy!
Stay Positive
Party Pit
Massive Nights
Barfruit Blues
Constructive Summer
Same Kooks
Multitude of Casualties
Stevie Nix
You Can Make Him Like You
Your Little Hoodrat Friend
How A Resurrection Really Feels
Encore:
First Night
Southtown Girls
Killer Parties
Previously I’ve only seen The Hold Steady perform live at the Carnegie Hall Springsteen tribute last Easter – which only amounted to one song (albeit a sensational version of “Atlantic City”) so I was excited to see them play a full show.
As with the Springsteen tribute – frontman Craig Finn is a bundle of infectious energy: constantly bouncing around the stage, singing and shouting to the crowd off-mic, clapping his hands and grinning like a loon.
It certainly got the crowd dancing and moshing in unison – especially with early performances of better known songs like “Stuck Between Stations” and “Chips Ahoy”.I’ve actually been listening to their most recent album ‘Boys and Girls in America’ for almost two years now – so having read the band have recently completed recording their new album, it was great to hear a few new songs.
I believe “Stay Positive” will be the title track to the album, and on first listen it sounded like a great crunchy rocker. The other newie was “Constructive Summer” which also sounded pretty good (and I’m pretty sure included a very cool name-check of Joe Strummer, rhymed with summer!).
The main set lasted almost exactly an hour, and the band returned for a three song encore, closing with “Killer Parties”. A great show, and you certainly got the sense from frontman Finn that if they could, the band would have keep playing for another couple of hours.
Full(ish) setlist:
Hot Soft Light
Stuck Between Stations
The Swish
Chips Ahoy!
Stay Positive
Party Pit
Massive Nights
Barfruit Blues
Constructive Summer
Same Kooks
Multitude of Casualties
Stevie Nix
You Can Make Him Like You
Your Little Hoodrat Friend
How A Resurrection Really Feels
Encore:
First Night
Southtown Girls
Killer Parties
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