The Hold Steady at The Echoplex October 15, 2011

Live Review and Photos by: JASPER BERNABAUM
The Hold Steady make some fairly bold statements on record. But around the halfway mark of the Hold Steady’s triumphant set at the Echoplex on Saturday, frontman Craig Finn changed the closing lyrics of show standout “Massive Nights” to make one of the most heroic statements his band has ever made. As the heavy-pounding bar jam faded out, Finn spoke in slowly, heavily-stressed syllables, “When the chaperone said, ‘God save the scene.’”

It was a simple, subtle tweak much of the audience probably failed to notice. But it was both provocative and true. The Hold Steady are not interested the current trend of “past era emulation” that is saturating the independent music scene. They are do not drown their music in reverb or accent it with electronic blips and bloops. The Hold Steady, much as their name suggests hold to the philosophy of playing rock music the way it should be played: loud, crunchy and full of passion. The band’s charisma is undeniable, inspiring even the oldest members of the audience (which could have been around 70 years of age) to jump around or at least bob their heads with a little heart. The band’s secret weapon is Finn’s deft lyricism and his ability to create shout-back-to-the-band anthems of genuine resonance. This older half of the audience—we’re talking 40 years and older— could probably well relate to Finn’s wonderfully woven tales of post-grad nostalgia and late night revelry. The band played an equal distribution of number from each of their four studio albums. Heavy riffers “Rock Problems” and “Hurricane J,” from last year’s

Heaven Is Whenever, ignited the energy early in the set along with classics “Stuck Between Stations” and “Sequestered In Memphis.” On the former song, “Stuck Between Stations,” former member Franz Nicolay’s twinkling piano triplets were much missed. In fact, it was disappointing that the piano accents were absent from the band’s entire performance. But they carried on triumphantly. The band roared through the home stretch of the set starting with Separation Sunday standout “Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night,” to Heaven Is Whenever favorite “The Weekenders” to the main set closer “Slapped Actress” and all the hits in between.

The band played as if the Echoplex was an arena or rather, as if it was cathedral with Finn serving as its pastor. This is only fitting considering the spiritual nature of their last record. In their encore, the band and audience bellowed through the “whoa-oh” chorus of “Positive Jam,”; the “whoa-oh’s” might as well have served as a substitute for “Amens” to Finn’s gospel, “We gotta stay positive!” But this was not the sound of a band in spiritual crisis.

This was the sound a band being rejuvenated, whether it is from the departure of Franz Nicolay and the addition of guitarist Steve Selvidge, or the fact that they are soon getting to work on a new record. It was a performance filled with musical light and lyrical truth. And the band said it most eloquently after the encore closer of the same name: “Good night, Los Angeles. We’re The Hold Steady. And this is ‘What A Resurrection Feels Like.’”

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