Click here to see the photos.

The Hold Steady partied in State College, PA on 11-05-2008 at the State Theatre with their high intesity rock and roll.  They were touring as part of the co-headlining “Rock and Roll Means Well Tour” with the Drive-By Truckers.  To see the Drive By Truckers photos click here.

Since this is a co-headlining tour, the Drive-By Truckers and The Hold Steady are taking turns being the opener and headliner.  For this show, Drive By Truckers were the opener and The Hold Steady were the headliner.  State College is a college town (home of Pennsylvania State University) so it was probably a good idea that The Hold Steady were the headliners for this show.  Drive-By Truckers play a no apologies southern rock and The Hold Steady is a college favorite that plays rock music with a party theme and their sound somewhat reminicent to Bruce Springsteen mixed with Paul Westerberg (Replacements).

If you have never seen The Hold Steady live, you are missing a rock and roll party full of youthful energy.  The front man Craig Finn (Guitar and Lead Vocals) runs around the stage and flails his arms around rapidly over top the fans while singing as the fans are yelling the lyrics back at him at the same time. Franz Nicolay’s (keyboards) feet spend more time in the air than on the stage and Galen Polivka (bass) runs back and forth between the front and back of the stage like he is doing the shuttle run in gym class.  All the while Bobby Drake (Drums) and Tad Kubler (Lead Guitar) are holding the thing together while the others are rocking out.

They kicked off the setlist with “Positive Jam” into the title track off the new album “Stay Positive” no doubt this is anthem or message that is most appropriate for the tulmultuous election year we all experienced this year.  The setlists as shown below then conitnued to play current and older song playing the hits along the way like ” Sequestered In Memphis”, “in Between Stations”, and “Chips Ahoy”.  The entire encore included two covers (“Burning For You” by Blue Oyster Cult Cover and “Lookout Cleveland” by The Band ) and both were played with Patterson Hood and John Neff of the Drive-By Truckers.

The setlist for The Hold Steady that night was:

Positive Jam
Stay Positive
Constructive Summer
Multitude of Casualties
Hot Soft Light
Stuck Between Stations
Don’t Let Me Explode
One For Cutters
Cheyenne Sunrise
Stevie Nix
Sequestered In Memphis
The Swish
Hoodrat Friend
Navy Sheets
Chips Ahoy
Song About Jamaica
Lord I’m Discouraged
Slapped Actress

Encore:
Sweet Payne
Burning For You (Blue Oyster Cult Cover) w/ John Neff and Patterson Hood
Lookout Cleveland (The Band Cover) w/ John Neff Neff and Patterson Hood
How A Resurrection Really Feels