Ready steady

The Hold Steady put on a blistering show. Craig Finn gesticulates like a tightly wound stand up comedian as he spiels his way through verses larded with down and outs, testy observations and the occasional exegesis on sainthood, as when he led into Don't Let Me Explode with a condensed life of Saint Barbara (Babs is the patron saint of miners of the explosive variety thanks to her dad's death by lightning strike).

Craig Finn, gesticulating as usual.



Bassist Galen Polivka.



Franz Nicolay flaunts the mustache.



Drummer Bobby Drake.



Tad Kubler did most of the guitarwork, since Finn mostly used his hands to jab the air. I'm glad I got a picture of him with his recently acquired doubleneck SG.



Steady action!







Unsteady action!



For the encore, which concluded with Killer Parties, they dragged a good chunk of the audience on stage and handed the guitars off to a pair of audience members (Stagecoach from Quebexico and Kelly from F!ghtF!ghtF!ght, as it happens).



Moments later, off stage ...



I grabbed the setlist - it was of course soggy with beer.