The Hold Steady

The Hold Steady Have Rock And Roll Problems On Ferguson

Craig Finn, and his totally unnecessary third guitar, brought the rest of The Hold Steady along for a performance of "Rock and Roll Problems" on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. A fine energetic performance of a song I can't really learn to love. Oh Cupid, you curious curious bastard.  

The band has a ridiculous amount of shows coming up so you can catch them pretty much wherever including an appearance at Sasquatch next weekend. It also appears that the boys are a reasonably safe bet to be joining in on the fun at Outside Lands based on their current itinerary.  Full dates are listed after the jump, tickets available from the usual suspects.   [via the audio perv]

 

The Hold Steady 2010 Tour Dates

 

  • 05/22 – Orlando, FL @ The Social ^ 
  • 05/23 – Orlando, FL @ The Social ^ 
  • 05/25 – Savannah, GA @ Live Wire Music Hall ^ 
  • 05/26 – Athens, GA @ 40 Watt ^ 
  • 05/27 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse ^ 
  • 05/29 – George, WA @ Sasquatch! Music Festival 
  • 06/12 – Isle of Wight, UK @ Isle of Wight Festival 
  • 06/14 – Paris, FR @ Fleche D’Or 
  • 06/15 – Cologne, DE @ Gebäude 9 
  • 06/16 – Berlin, DE @ Frannz Club 
  • 06/17 – Munich, DE @ 59:1 
  • 06/19 – Neuhausen ob Eck, DE @ Southside Festival 
  • 06/21 – Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg 
  • 06/22 – London, UK @ HMV Forum 
  • 06/24 – Vitoria, ES @ Azkena Rock Festival 
  • 06/26 – Manchester, UK @ Academy 2 
  • 06/27 – Pilton, UK @ Glastonbury Music Festival 
  • 07/01 – Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest 
  • 07/02 – Hayward, WI @ Lac Courte Oreilles Casino # 
  • 07/03 – Minneapolis, MN @ Cabooze Outdoor Stage # 
  • 07/04 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue # 
  • 07/06 – Omaha, NE @ Slowdown # 
  • 07/07 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre 
  • 07/08 – Santa Fe, NM @ Santa Fe Brewing Company # 
  • 07/10 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater # 
  • 07/11 – Memphis, TN @ Hi-Tone Cafe # 
  • 07/12 – Knoxville, TN @ The Square Room # 
  • 07/14 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall # 
  • 07/15 – Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore *# 
  • 07/16 – Toronto, ON @ Kool Haus # 
  • 07/17 – Ottawa, ON @ Ottawa Bluesfest 
  • 08/18 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox at the Market 
  • 08/19 – Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre 
  • 08/20 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom 
  • 08/21 – Eugene, OR @ W.O.W. Hall 
  • 08/23 – Chico, CA @ Seantor Theatre 
  • 08/24 – Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst 
  • 08/25 – Costa Mesa, CA @ Detroit Bar 
  • 08/26 – Pomona, CA @ Glass House 
  • 08/27 – Santa Barbra, CA @ Velvet Jones 
  • 10/05 – Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero 
  • 10/07 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre 

^ = w/ Twin Tigers * = w/ The Gaslight Anthem # = w/ The Whigs

 

The Hold Steady Bring The Weekenders To Letterman

The Hold Steady are in full on promotional blitz mode as their new album Heaven Is Whenever is set to be released tomorrow. To that end they made a visit to a very appreciative David Letterman last night where they performed The Weekenders.  Stereogum also captured that amazing gif below which they suggested showed frontman Craig Finn's satisfaction with his witty lyrics. Good times.

The Hold Steady In Concert From World Cafe Live Streaming Today

The Hold Steady's new album Heaven Is Whenever hits store shelves and their respective digital counterparts this coming Tuesday May 4th. We already let you know about the album stream last week, but today will see the band playing one of their high energy concerts for WXPN and World Cafe Live that those lovely NPR folks will again be providing for us.

The show starts at noon EST and should be archived after completion so I will update this post with the audio for those that miss the initial stream.  Head over here for the goods.

Update: Now with archived content as promised.  Party.

Stream The Hold Steady's New Album Heaven Is Whenever

Truth be told I knew about this yesterday but there was just so much going on with the Broken Social Scene stream as well as the first Soundgarden concert in thirteen years.  Either way it's Tuesday and you now have an awesome new album to stream, The Hold Steady's latest, Heaven Is Whenever.  The ten song set is scheduled for a May 4th release date, but now you can listen to the album in its entirety thanks to NPR.

Craig Finn and company don't shake up the formula too much, which you probably already knew, but it feels like there is a distinct difference in the new album that is currently hard to place.  I think this is a good thing.  Check out the stream here and decide for yourself.  That's what she said.

The Hold Steady Release Another New Track The Weekenders

Another week, another new track from The Hold Steady makes its way online.  The latest to drop is The Weekenders, which will be the third track on their new record Heaven Is Whenever.  Considering the May 4th release date, it looks like every song could be premiered by then if they continue at this rate.  No complaints here.  

I'm still leaning on Hurricane J as my favorite of the new tracks, but Rock And Roll Problems is growing me.  Check out the not really a video video of The Weekenders below.   [via mtv]

More From The New Hold Steady, Rock And Roll Problems

Vulture just premiered another new song from The Hold Steady's upcoming album Heaven Is WheneverThe new track Rock And Roll Problems is fittingly enough a straight up pop rocker.  While not exactly the anthemic good times of Hurricane J there will still be quite a bit of fist pumping and lip syncing in the crowds for this one.  Heaven Is Whenever will hit stores May 4th.

The Hold Steady start a pretty major tour this Friday in New York.  Tickets for most shows are available through Ticketmaster

Rock And Roll Problems

Listen To The New Hold Steady Single Hurricane J

You've already seen the tracklist and the album art for The Hold Steady's new album Heaven Is Whenever, so now get ready to hear some of the actual music.  The band just released Hurricane J, the first single from the new record.  The track is pretty much what you would expect from the group, unless you were thinking the song referenced a really powerful wonder joint, then you might be in for a surprise.

Heaven Is Whenever will not be released until May 4th, but the band starts a lengthy international tour April 2nd in New York.  Tickets for most shows are already available through Ticketmaster.   [via pitchfork]

The Hold Steady Unveil Heaven Is Whenever Cover

The Hold Steady have just released the album cover art for their new LP Heaven Is Whenever.  The ten song set will be the band's fifth studio album and their first since 2008's Stay Positive.  The band starts a pretty extensive tour in New York on April 2nd that includes a stop at this year's Sasquatch festival.  Tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster.   [via pitchfork]

The Hold Steady Announce Heaven Is Whenever

Brooklyn based band The Hold Steady recently announced a batch of tour dates including a stop at the Sasquatch Festival.  Now it appears that there is a new album coming from the group as well.  Set to be released May 4th, Heaven Is Whenever will be The Hold Steady's fifth studio album, and their first since 2008's [amazon B001BP4K4K].  

Singer Craig Finn says ’Heaven Is Whenever’ is about “embracing suffering and finding reward in our everyday lives.” Piano and keys take a backseat to guitar on the new record, which also gets production help from guitarist Tad Kubler.

Recorded in several smaller sessions spread out over a long period of time, the songs on ‘Heaven Is Whenever’ received the benefit of being tested on the band’s recent tours. As Finn says this allowed them to “see what was working and what wasn’t. I believe this record benefits from us working at a more deliberate pace.”   [via the hold steady]

The tracklisting for Heaven Is Whenever:

  1. The Sweet Part of the City
  2. Soft in the Center
  3. The Weekenders
  4. The Smidge
  5. Rock Problems
  6. We Can Get Together
  7. Hurricane J
  8. Barely Breathing
  9. Our Whole Lives
  10. A Slight Discomfort
Of course you catch one of the band's high energy performances at one of these upcoming dates.  Tickets for some shows are available through Ticketmaster.

 

04/02 - Ardsley, NY @ LIFE
04/03 - New Haven, CT @ Toad’s Place
04/06 - Northampton, MA @ Pearl Street
04/07 - Albany, NY @ Linda Norris Auditorium
04/08 - Woodstock, NY @ Bearsville Theater
04/09 - Jermyn, PA @ Eleanor Rigby’s
04/10 - Syracuse, NY @ The Westcott Theater
04/12 - Rochester, NY @ The Club at Water Street Music Hall
04/13 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
04/14 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Diesel Club Lounge
04/15- Morgantown, WV @ 123 Pleasant St.
04/16 - Harrisburg, PA @ Appalachian Brewing Company
05/05 - Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre
05/06 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
05/29 - George, WA @ Sasquatch! Music Festival
06/12 - Isle of Wight, UK @ Isle of Wight Festival
06/14 - Paris, FR @ Fleche D’Or
06/21 - Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg
06/22 - London, UK @ HMV Forum
06/26 - Manchester, UK @ Academy 2

Fargo Rock City Heading To The Big Screen

A while back we learned that one of  Chuck Klosterman's awesome books, Killing Yourself To Live, was being adapted for the big screen.  At the time I fully supported the idea and I continue to do so, and now it looks like we are working on number two, this time with an actual real life (indie) rock star involved.

Tom Ruprecht, a longtime writer on CBS’ “Late Show With David Letterman,” and Craig Finn, frontman of the popular rock band the Hold Steady, are teaming to write and produce the coming-of-age comedy “Fargo Rock City.” The duo has acquired rights to the 2001 memoir of the same name by music scribe Chuck Klosterman, who will join the pair in producing.

Klosterman’s book tells of growing up in North Dakota as one of the few fans of heavy metal, and his experiences using music to transcend high school nerddom. The 1980s-set screenplay will revolve around a group of high school seniors facing graduation as they try to find success with women and generally break out of their geeky cocoons.

“Seventeen or eighteen is the perfect age for characters in a movie like this, because it’s at that age that you have drivers licenses and a certain amount of independence, but you’re still young enough that you can totally make terrible decisions,” Finn told us. “And you’re still young enough that you can have a two-hour argument over whether Motley Crue would beat Guns ‘N Roses in a fight.” via

I'm a pretty big sucker for all things Klosterman so it goes without saying I really enjoyed the book, although not my personal favorite of his.  It will be interesting to see if both of these films hit the theaters,  and if so the differences between them.  Killing Yourself To Live lends itself a lot better to a dramatic character piece filled with humor with rock and roll folklore as the backdrop, while Fargo Rock City could go in the high school American Pie/Superbad vein with 80's rock as the backdrop.  I feel it is important to note that both of those sound like movies I would be uber pumped for.