On February 6th, 2014, Hold Steady played their 10th year anniversary at Music Hall Of Williamsburg. I gave it a miss and probably just as well because from what I hear they were still rockin’ past midnight and… I had work the next day.
I’ve reviewed em twice here, once a brilliant set at Bowery Ballroom and once a not brilliant set at the Beacon Theater and looking at this set list I guess I’d have been sick of it before the fifth song was over. I get tired of Craig Finn’s shout along singing after awhile. I prefer him when he is, you know, actually singing his songs. Plus, looking at this setlist, no “Our Whole Lives” which, really they should play on occasion.
1. Positive Jam – No, no, no, this blues based number won’t do.; pretty good lyric but sorta through a past darkly- C+
2. The Swish – Let’s be honest, Almost Killed Me almost killed me – C
3. Knuckles – here they got their name B-
4. I Hope This Thing Didn’t Frighten You – Then they jumped ten years and sound somewhat well similar – C+
5. Cattle And The Creeping Thing – Martial beat – C+
6. Stevie Nix- This is a real goodie, that riff is high octane – A-
7. Multitude Of Casualties – This is what they did at the Beacon as well, one deep album track after another – C
8.You Can Make Him Like You – “You’ve always had a boy, you’ve always had a boyfriend…” Wordly wise pop song sounds liek the rest – B
9. Chips Ahoy – This reminds you where the bands power lays, terrific singalong choruses and wordy lyrics about massive nights with no action – B+
10. Same Kooks – If it wasn’t for them inventing it, the bar room barrel down and sing speak lyric about a limited scene with limited girls would be purely generic here – B
11. The Weekenders – Off the last album, its close harmonie back up singing on the chorus, guitar solo in the middle, and acoustic guitar intro are the prices of aging. So is the actual, you know , singing not shouting – B
12. Rock Problems – Sympathy is hard to come by when you’re a rock star – B+
13. Magazines – The riff is one of Tad Kubler’s best and “Magazines and daddy issues” is one of Crag’s best lines – A
14. Sequestered In Memphis – The band dealt with the half way mark in the set by rolling out one of their best, the organ smashes you though it and a one night stand ends in a cop shop, the most important words Finn has written? “I remembered…” – A
15. Constructive Summer – The third great song in a role, this is a Hold Steady gig right? Craig tributes Saint Joe Strummer as our only decent teacher – A
16. Slapped Actress – Great litany at the top and a fine melody in the middle – A
17. Certain Songs – This is the one that turned me around on the band, a rock critics type of lyric that places the experience of listening to music at the center of the adventure through life – A
18. Stuck Between Stations – Boys and girls in America’s mating rituals – B+
19. Massive Nights – The guys were feeling good about their liquor run, The girls were kinda flirting with the setting sun, We all kinda fumbled through the Jitterbug, We were all powered up on some new upper drug.” One of the great anthems of our time as Craig and Tad gets their high school buddies back on the dancefloor one more time – A+
20. Stay Positive – The problems I had with the earlier songs in the set disappear with this track which sounds like those songs but gets it right – A-
21. How A Resurrection Really Feels – One of Craig’s best story songs -actually, they are all story songs so let’s claim one of his best songs period – A
22. Citrus – Fan track as they return for the encore with a -gasp, acoustic number – B+
23. Your Little Hoodrat Friends – A girl cuts – B
24. Southtown Girls – a capella intro this late at night? – B-
25. Killer Parties – Craig returns to the beginning before saying goodbye – A-
