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by Liza Weisstuch |
November 03, 2008
A
solid bar band is hard to resist, not least because they’re kinda hard
to come by. That’s because the really good ones don’t stay bar bands
for very long, even if their reputation as such sticks with them
forever. Take, for instance, the Hold Steady, which will forever be
branded as “the best bar band you’ll ever hear,” even though they had
to move to a bigger label by the time they released their third album
in 2006. (Their fourth, Stay Positive, came out in July.)
Fronted by Craig Finn, who’s as influenced by classic rock as he is
early punk and beat poetry, is a rocker for the This American Life
set. Hold Steady’s songs are wellcrafted feats of lyricism about
things you’d expect bar bands to sing about: crazy broads, lonely
nights on tour, and growing up in Mississippi. But as their latest
album title suggests, they err on the side of optimism. They bring
their beer-sodden sunny disposition to the Orpheum (One Hamilton Place, Boston, 617.679.0810). Drive-By Truckers joins them. Get tickets ($25 to $27.50) at www.livenation.com. Doors are at 6:30 p.m.; the show starts at 7:30. ...
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