Photo by Andrew Scott Blackstein

On Mar. 6, The Hold Steady performed the second and final show of their virtual Weekender event.

The annual run of shows is typically held in the UK, but due to the COVID-19 crisis, The Hold Steady took the stage at New York’s Brooklyn Bowl instead of London’s Electric Ballroom. The show kicked off at 3 p.m. ET so fans across the pond could tune in at 8 p.m. GMT.

The Hold Steady kicked off the set with a selection of old classics, starting with “Hornets! Hornets!” (the opening track off 2005’s Separation Sunday) and then immediately diving into the anthemic fan-favorite “Stuck Between Stations.” The Brooklyn indie-rockers kept the momentum going with “You Can Make Him Like You” and “The Swish,” which saw some enthusiastic on-stage dancing from keyboardist Franz Nicolay and a face-melting solo from guitarist Tad Kubler. 

The band switched gears as they went into “Lanyards,” a track from their new record Open Door Policy. Frontman Craig Finn gave an emotional vocal performance in an excellent display of showmanship before introducing The Horn Steady (the band’s resident horn section consisting of Jordan McLean, Peter Hess, and Stuart Bogie) and going into “Entitlement Crew.” The tune was followed by the catchy and energetic tunes “You Did Good Kid” and “Family Farm.”

“Sequestered in Memphis” was the next tune up before the band went into the piano-led “Don’t Let Me Explode,” where Finn’s narrative lyrics took center stage. The energy kicked back in with “Denver Haircut” followed by “The Weekenders,” which saw bassist Galen Polivka and drummer Bobby Drake’s display their air-tight rhythm section. Before going into “We Can Get Together,” Finn gave a heartfelt speech regarding The Hold Steady’s fanbase: “This community around this band is more than just a community – it’s a part of this band.”

The band pushed on with “Constructive Summer” and “Hot Soft Light,” followed by “Esther” and “Massive Nights.” They wound down their set with “Unpleasant Breakfast” followed by the fan favorite “Chips Ahoy,” which Finn appropriately introduced as a song that “is about a boy, a girl, and a horse.” The final songs of the set were “Most People are DJs” and “Slapped Actress.” Finn called on fans to clap along from their living rooms during “Most People,” and while he and the band seemed to have a good laugh over having to pretend to be able to hear the audience clapping, it was a small gesture that aimed to further enhance the COVID-era homebound concert experience. 

The encore started with “Certain Songs” before jumping into “Stay Positive,” during which the band’s pal Mosh Pit Josh took the stage to shotgun a beer and provide some screamed vocals. The final two songs of the night were “Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night” and “Killer Parties,” which of course warranted a big finish à la The Hold Steady. As the guitars rang out in a cacophony of ambient feedback, the camera panned over to a cake sitting next to a vinyl pressing of Open Door Policy to commemorate the album’s February release.

Read Relix‘s recent feature on The Hold Steady – “Stuck Between Stations” – here.

Check out the full setlist below:

The Hold Steady
March 6, 2021
The Weekender, Brooklyn Bowl, N.Y.
 

Hornets! Hornets!, Stuck Between Stations, The Swish, You Can Make Him Like You, Lanyards, Entitlement Crew, You Did Good Kid, Family Farm, Sequestered in Memphis, Don’t Let Me Explode, Denver Haircut, The Weekenders, We Can Get Together, Constructive Summer, Hot Soft Light, Esther, Massive Nights, Unpleasant Breakfast, Chips Ahoy!, Most People Are DJs, Slapped Actress

Enc: Certain Songs, Stay Positive, Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night, Killer Parties

Notes:
^ with Mosh Pit Josh