The Hold Steady

The Hold Steady came to Fargo last night, and even though the show wasn't close to being a full audience, a group of enthusiastic and inebriated Winnipeggers made up for the empty seats in the back and the balcony. I hadn't heard any of their new album so several songs were entirely foreign and combined with the less than stellar sound in the house, a few tracks ended up being quite disorienting. Nevertheless, Craig Finn's stagejoy and Tad Kubler's very excellent guitar work made for a very enjoyable show.

Openers The Loved Ones were solid and played a very enthusiastic set — and they ought to have, being that the wheels literally fell off their vehicle on the way to Fargo from Minneapolis.

NPR has a Hold Steady concert available here if you'd like to listen.