Subpoenaed in Texas
Let’s finish this up, shall we? No doubt who fills the No. 1 spot.
So there the two of us were, standing above the stage at the Mohawk while a block away a once proud band called Metallica was putting the finishing touches on a retail venture at Stubb’s. Below us, say 15 feet or so below us, stood The Hold Steady. We saw the band just 30 hours ago at the Red 7, where they played a sweaty set to the mostly male crowd of college aged kids and the aging post secondary educated who probably see in the band what they always wished themselves to be — simple rock stars. Back in real time, lead singer Craig Finn was directing the cramped primaries to Constructive Summer, feeding off the appreciative crowd not only at the main level but our second level and the distant third deck at the back of the open-air room.
“We’re going to build something this summer.” Everyone believed him.
A quiet looking girl in the front row, who sat through the first bands waiting for The Hold Steady to take their turn, was wearing an orange dress. She had long brown hair, straight past her shoulders. Orange dress appeared to be alone in the crowed bar but she wasn’t. When Finn bounced up to the mic for each needed word to his many thought out stories, she was right there with him, repeating everything he sang with the exact same precision and with the exact same passion. She was his cue card and for her it was pure joy, a reaction I don’t think I have ever seen in my life of going to shows and watching bands and the people who watch bands.
Back to our rail-side vantage point overlooking the stage, stage hands, and the crowd, a second-row guy with near-perfect sideburns and a tight soul patch leaned into the two of us, his head between ours to speak to our opposite ears. He wondered if we were experiencing the same thing he was as the energy grew with each singalong song.
“Are you guys finding it hard not to watch the girl in the front row?”
We all laughed and continued to watch the experience unfold, quietly agreeing — or maybe it was just understanding at that moment — to the endless wonder and power of what a well-crafted song can achieve.
Enough of that. Can we talk about sports now?
[...] in this little blog, as I count down the hours to the Hold Steady show at the West Ender tonight. Oh yeah, I’m excited. The above track will probably not see the sun on Ellice tonight, which is too bad. If you’re [...]
Thursday Wrap Jam « the 4th star
September 24, 2009 at 3:07 am
[...] That great exchange was quickly replaced by the next one, when Craig Finn started into his mockumentary on DJs. How he would go to places like the DMV or the laundromat and find a guy with a couple tables in the corner “trying to find the right mix.” Most people were laughing at Hoover. He was right in front of Finn. It was almost like the DJ was set-up — the timing was just so perfect. Co-op took it like a champ, though. Good for him. Not the best show I’ve seen them play, but you can’t mess with Texas. [...]
Friday Wrap Jam « the 4th star
September 25, 2009 at 11:05 am