Record Review
April 14, 2009
A Positive Rage by The Hold Steady
I first saw The Hold Steady back in 2004, during SXSW at my older brother’s friend Judson’s place. There were about 30 people there. (I got photos) They played a small back yard stage during a pretty casual family-style BBQ. Even then, all of us watching we’re blown away and it seems they landed some life-long fans that day.
That year, and the following, they were listed by more than one rag as the best unknown band in the land (or something similar.) And it was true. No longer though, people have discovered The Hold Steady and their amazing live shows. They’ve not lost a beat in the intervening years though, that’s for sure. I saw them this year at SXSW, 5 years removed from that backyard BBQ and, what can I say… they were amazing. In fact, this tweet from that day about sums up my feeling towards their live shows, “for some of us, we hold steady and all is right with the world.”
In any case, this last week they released a live album called A Positive Rage and it, as you might expect, is terrific. If you’ve not seen them live, I suggest you do that. Oh, and by the album too. :)
The Bottom Line
While it doesn’t fully capture the amazing live show that The Hold Steady seem to put on every night, it’s as good an attempt as you could expect. Highly recommended.
