Great Rock n'Roll Fun
The Hold Steady have been festivalled out this summer with appearances at Glastonbury, Guilfest, T In The Park and their own UK dates already this summer, however they still manage to pull out the stops to make each show feel special and full of ecstatic energy which instantly gets the crowd involved. This is the last day of a tour that started on 12th May and the band are still as fresh and full of fun as ever.
Opening with the two hits, 'Stuck Between Stations' and current single, 'Chips Ahoy', the crowd are instantly warmed up and their enthusiasm and eagerness to catch up with singer Craig Finn's nuts supersonic speed hand gestures never fails to amuse.
Having seen the band a week or so ago, it's a little sad that some of the stage banter is similar, but the gospel according to The Hold Steady is always a pleasure and this band have so much to say and such catchy tunes to say it with. It's a surprise but a treat that some album tunes like, 'Massive Nights' get even more singing a-long than the usual "woohs" on 'Chips Ahoy', but it's been clear that The Hold Steady are one of the bands of this festival all day as their tshirts have been prevalent all day, even on tiny kids. Finn later acknowledges the presence of these kids, thanking everyone who brought them and believes rock n'roll can be a positive thing - amen to that.
'Southtown Girls' starts acapella and develops into a full blown anthem with harmonica embellishment before the awesome, 'Killer Parties' brings the show to a rapturous close.