Tuesday, 22 Jul 2008
Set List: Constructive Summer/You Gotta/Multitude of Casualties/Sequestered In Memphis/Yeah Sapphire/Massive Nights/Party Pit/Joke About Jamaica/Navy Sheets/Banging Camp/Modesto/Chips Ahoy!/You Can Make Him Like You/Barfruit Blues/Lord, I’m Discouraged/Hornets! Hornets!/Stay Positive/Slapped Actress
Encore: Stuck Between Stations/The Swish/Southtown Girls/Killer Parties
Let’s all recover together. Last night The Hold Steady earned their accolades of being one of the best live bands on the road these days. The Majestic Theatre was filled up with fans eager to hear Stay Positive material for the first time, and fill their live music prescription for the summer. After seeing a show like this it’s only expected that the next band you see will seem a little underwhelming.
The Stay Positive material seamlessly wove its way into the set list, beginning the evening with the opening track of the album, “Constructive Summer.” From that moment those in the floor were fist pumping for the next hour and half as Craig Finn and crew delivered their sing-a-long songs. There was jumping, shouting, and lots of sweating – rock and roll at its rawest. “Sequestered In Memphis” and “Stay Positive” are set list staples for the band going forward, the latter being one of the biggest anthems of the evening.
In the Hold Steady’s songs I’m reminded of my youth and cognizant my growing age. I’m no longer that kid in the very first row, shirt ripped, ribs sore, and on the verge of collapse from exhaustion. That’s ok, because I watched in awe as a group of four guys perform what could have been the soundtrack to my youth.
Discuss: What did you think of the show? What were your favorite songs? What didn’t they play that you were hoping to hear? That was a pretty sweet Grateful Dead Dancing Bear sticker adorning Craig’s telecaster!
Related: Review: The Holdy Steady :: Stay Positive
Myspace: The Hold Steady
Find MP3′s at The Hype Machine or buy stuff from Strictly Discs | eMusic
July 22nd, 2008 at 8:40 am
Not bad at all. Nice setlist.
July 22nd, 2008 at 11:07 am
Glad to see Slapped Actress is making the set list. That might be my favorite song off the new record.
July 22nd, 2008 at 11:16 am
That song’s definitely grown on me. Its placement last night was absolutely perfect. Great song to end their set.
July 22nd, 2008 at 11:48 am
just a flat-out blast. one cheesy (but fun as all heck) thing that hold steady does so well is the whoa-woh-oh sing-alongs. even casual fans can’t help but sing along with the rest of the crowd during a song like chips ahoy. i remember thinking the same thing the first time i saw arcade fire. both bands are quite different musically but have the same stage presence and ability to draw the crowd into the concert experience.
oh, and craig couldn’t have had more fun last night.
July 22nd, 2008 at 3:34 pm
you missed one in the encore. they definately closed it all out with killer parties. because i made them.
July 22nd, 2008 at 3:37 pm
How could I forget – killer parties almost killed me.
Thanks for making them!
July 22nd, 2008 at 8:00 pm
did anyone else think the show was obscenely loud? i can’t remember the last time i had any noticeable hearing issues after a show, but i was hurting after the HS. may have just been tad’s stage rig? i was pretty uncomfortable throughout and wishing for ear plugs (now i feel old).
July 22nd, 2008 at 9:03 pm
yeah, that was crazy loud. I was front row center next to all the monitors. My ears are still ringing (almost 24 hours after the show).
July 22nd, 2008 at 10:12 pm
Great show. Would have loved to heard Magazines or Your Little Hoodrat Friend thrown into the set list, but that’s not a complaint. The Loved Ones didn’t do too much for me. I commented to my buddy last nite that they sounded like they should be on one of the Fat Wreck Chords compliations released in the late 90′s early 2000′s, only to find out today that they are on the Fat Wreck Chords label.
July 22nd, 2008 at 10:58 pm
jason…samuel…
it sounds like The Hold Steady almost killed you..
lol
jeff.
July 23rd, 2008 at 6:34 am
Couldn’t have asked for more fun at a show! My buddy and I drove in from Milwaukee- this was my second time seeing The Hold Steady and first time at the Majestic Theater. Great venue and very fun crowd. I enjoyed the new material and how it translated live. I also liked hearing “The Swish” as one of the encore songs.
July 24th, 2008 at 8:36 am
Great Show – would have loved to hear “Hot Soft Light” though. “Barfruit Blues” was an unexpected treat. I was probably too close for a guy my age though – more slamming around than one of the kids at the shows with kids of his own ought to be doing.
But more about the dancing bear – Is Craig a deadhead, does he like the art work, or is it just a tribute to Madison’s fairly vibrant dead-related community?
I’d love to know.
July 24th, 2008 at 9:01 am
The dancing bear sticker was not a Madison only appearance. It was rocked at P4K Music Festival in CHI as well. I imagine he must be a fan of the Dead. Sticker looks great on the guitar in my opinion.
Coincidentally, the Dark Star Orchestra was playing in Madison on the same night as the Hold Steady show.
July 29th, 2008 at 7:53 am
I just got the new album and its stunning! I can’t wait to see them in Glasgow in October!
Stay Positive must be one of the most uplifting songs in years – even though its lyrics are so dark!