Concert Review – The Hold Steady/Deer Tick

Concert Review

The Hold Steady/Deer Tick
4.18.2014

Toad’s Place, New Haven, CT

Hold Steady

Hold Steady

First and foremost, I love THS.  They are a straight forward rock band.  They aren’t trying to be some f*cking indie band like everyone else seems to want to be.  And I respect that.  They are doing something that, at this moment in time, you just don’t hear anymore.  And they bring it to you in their live performance.  They BRING it!  As one friend of mine put it “The Hold Steady is one of the very best “bar bands” out there today.

THS Set List

It’s Friday night and it’s Lent.  Craig Finn asked the crowd  if anyone had given up drinking for Lent.  It was, of course, a resounding NO!  Despite it being a holy holiday, He said to the sold out crowd “ There are one million ways to stay home, but you all chose to go out.  And we thank you.”

The band just killed it for 18 non-stop songs save some light banter from Craig Finn.  The sh*t they delivered was about the rock n roll.  The full set was followed up by 5 additional songs during the encore.

You know, what amazes me about THS is that they seem to be a cult, underground band of amazing. Amazingly enough, they have just shy of 72,000 followers on Facebook .  By big band standards, I’d say that’s a rather small number.  But let me tell you, their fans are hard core.  They sang EVERY SINGLE song tonight.  Luckily for this photographer, I was right at side stage watching the crazy phenom.  And even more curiouser, was the crowd demographics.  Old;  Young; Tattoed.  Frat boys crowd surfing, all of whom were serenaded by Finn as they sang to him floating on a sea of hands.

Deer Tick

In the final moments of a full-on rock n roll bulldozer, Finn picked up a guitar and quipped, “I’ve brought this guitar along with me.  I guess I should play it”.  That lasted all of a minute.

I went home tonight feeling I had my socks rocked right off.  My guess is that so did everyone else who attended.

Deer Tick

Rhode Island natives, Deer Tick opened the show.  This band just recently one a New England Music Award for Song of the Year.  What I found remarkable was that the venue was already pretty close to capacity

Deer Tick

when I arrived to see Deer Tick.  And even more remarkable were the number of people there who could sing all of their songs.  I’m not entirely sure if it’s because they are a regional band or because they are in the midst of “blowing up” as a national act.  Whatever it may be, they did not disappoint this crowd.  Oh, and…I bought one of the best t-shirts I’ve had in a long time…It said “F*ck Deer Tick”.  I’ve already proudly worn it during record store day!

As always, occupy a venue and get out there and support local!!

Peace, lsg

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Peace…

Lisa Sanchez Gonzalez – lsg Original

Lover of music and the visual arts, Lisa Sanchez Gonzalez is the insanity behind lsg original photography. lsg specializes in artist and performer photography. She’s had the honor of photographing national bands such as Weezer, Snoop Dogg, A Simple Plan, Paramore, Whitesnake, Wye Oak, and The Antlers along with countless local bands and performers.

Hailing from Hartford, CT, Lisa is a life- long music connoisseur. Growing up, her mother exposed her to everything from The Stones to Simon and Garfunkel to Earth, Wind, and Fire to Loretta Lynn…and everything in between. No genre was left unexplored in her vinyl collection. She saw her first concert at 14…Rod Stewart at the (then called) Hartford Civic Center. Thirty years later, it’s still her favorite pastime.

Lisa has two kids (grown!) and a day job. Her loves of music and photography have melded into a second career. And her love of CT keeps her promoting and pushing for local artists and performers. Lisa spends the greater part of her free time seeing and shooting live bands, performers, and artists and art work…and purchasing vinyl!

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OCCUPY A VENUE!