Was the Hold Steady any match for the Boss last Friday? The crowd at the Fox seemed to think so. Photo of previous show from the
There were two shows to see last Friday night in Colorado that offered a similar experience, and I’m sure once the was announced, many who had purchased tickets to see at Boulder’s , and especially those that hadn’t, found themselves facing a tough decision. Enough chose the latter show to fill the Fox to capacity, and I think they made the right choice.
The Hold Steady may be the perfect rock band. The beauty they’re selling feels like the E Street Band, from the Asbury Park days, mixed with broken hearted punk rock from the Replacements and sloppy-sweet power pop from Guided By Voices. They constantly show their deep connection to the classics of rock, but avoid being overcome by them and sliding into awkward parody. As strong as their influence is from bands like Cheap Trick or the Band, they show a consistent and respectful nod to ‘70s punk, ‘80s hardcore and ‘90s power pop — wrapped in a sweet, endearing and accessible sound that remains edgy and new.
Friday nightap show was a perfect example. As the lights dimmed in front of a house packed almost too tightly with a giddy, spring-fevered crowd, Queen’s “Flash” ushered the band onstage, with appropriate tongue-in-cheek heroism. Along with frontman Craig Finn (vocals, guitar), Tad Kubler (lead guitar), Franz Nicolay (keyboards, vocals), Galen Povlika (bass) and Bobby Drake (drums) sauntered comfortably onstage, looking exceedingly normal. The kind of normal we’ve become used to from sitcoms like “Arrested Development,” “The Office” or “Seinfeld,” only real and onstage and in front of an ecstatic crowd. They delivered fervent mini-sermons about love and passion with a constant, driving rock power, full of a stiff and stubborn optimism.
As the band poured through a set including “Sequestered In Memphis,” “Slapped Actress,” “Chips Ahoy,” “Magazines” and others, Finn’s lyricism was draped around him like an affliction. He seemed unable to stop as he shared axe wielding with Kubler, spewing out line after line drenched in guts and passion, and almost completely sans-melody. He even spat out words between lyrics, standing a few feet away from his microphone, and provided a perfect chaos to tie up the band’s explosive and riff-thick architecture.
Nicolay, meanwhile, personified a mashup of Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka with an impassioned Paul Shaffer behind his keyboard, while Drake and Povlika recalled early Replacements’ members Tommy Stinson and Chris Mars with their adolescent looks and solid rhythm section — without the requisite inebriation.
The performance went a long way to proving that the Hold Steady is a near perfect distillation of the last 30 years or so of rock, with the right attitude, presence and an addictive sound. It was only fitting that they played on the same night as the Boss, and I’d be willing to bet Bruce would’ve loved to have been up in Boulder that night watching them nearly as much as he did playing.
Billy Thieme is a Denver-based writer, an old-school punk and a huge follower of Denver’s vibrant local music scene. Follow Billy’s giglist at
