Now, onto the show itself. This was the second of two nights for this bill with The Hold Steady headliners. The band may be two decades old, but they have retained the energy and enthusiasm of the early years. The set list included “Stuck Between Stations.” The song’s credited writers are by Craig Finn, Fran Nicolay and Tad Kubler. The references to Sal Paradise, the protagonist of the classic Jack Kerouac novel, “On The Road,” and to the late confessional poet, John Berryman, were a reminder that there were at least two published authors on this bill. Those being Franz Nicolay, and The Mountain Goats’ John Darnielle.
The tune itself is a meditation on depression, written in the midst of a tough time for Finn.
“There are nights when I think Sal Paradise was right
Boys and girls in America have such a sad time together
Sucking off each other at the demonstrations
Making sure their makeup’s straight
Crushing one another with colossal expectations
Dependent, undisciplined, and sleeping late.”
The band also cruised through the set with “Sequestered in Memphis,” “Sideways Skull,” “Sixers,” “Chips Ahoy,” and “Your Little Hoodrat Friend,” among many others. The Hold Steady held the crowd steadily, in its grasp, from start to finish. Finn’s arms outstretched much of the time, matched in attitude by all of his bandmates, The Hold Steady thrilled the crowd. Will the band return to Chicago one day on its 40th Anniversary tour? We can hope, but if they do, it won’t be on any half-hearted nostalgia tour. No, I expect it will be just as exciting for the crowd and hopefully for the musicians as well. I hope to be there to document it once more.
Nearer in the future for The Hold Steady is the July 25th scheduled release of the oral and pictorial history of the band signed by the members, “The Gospel of the Hold Steady.” The limited edition pre-order package also includes a signed photo-journal chapbook by Tad Kubler, “TJK ON THS.”