Ode to Mpls

The Hold Steady @ First Ave

I avoided the crowd, heat and rain and skipped out on the Hold Steady show at Grand Old Days on Sunday. I had heard such great things about the show, how energetic it was an how great Craig played and sang. I had huge high hopes for the show at First Ave. I'll have to say I was a bit disappointed. I like the Hold Steady, I like the sound and I dig the lyrics. But to me that show was just like listening to the album at home. Well add Craigs dorky dancing (which I like) and a few comments about how great mpls is and that was about it. I talked to a lot of people that thought the show was so fucking great and were extremely happy. I guess I've been going to too many punk shows lately and just thought it was lacking the energy it could have had. Or maybe it was my longing for the old days of local Lifter Puller. I probably just wasn't in the mood and that hurt my perception of things. But the fact that I was standing next to the speakers and cold have a full conversation with my friend was not a good sign. There's no way I should have been able to hear her. And Craig said how playing the First Ave mainstage was a dream come true, well you did it last summer too at the City Pages 25th Anniversary show. They made it seem like they had never played the stage. Plus come on Lifter Puller has graced that stage, I'm sure of it.

Oh well, I don't deny that the band is great and I can really get into the music. Just not sure I adored the show as so many others did. Wasn't horrible and it was a good Monday evening completely with whiskey and walking. And there were some people in the crowd that I liked and hung out with so not an overall bad night. I would still highly recommend picking up Separation Sunday or The Hold Steady Almost Killed Me.