I bought a half-pitcher of Yuengling, a burger, and a new rock t-shirt. So starting from right there, last night was better than most. There were no temporary tattoos, but I got a pin that says "Damn right you'll rise again".

It's funny how I knew before I saw the Hold Steady how the lead singer would act. One hand on the microphone, leaning into the crowd, guitar strapped to his body unplayed. And I thought it would bother me, but I'm so sold on this band right now I'll buy whatever they're selling. It's like Stockholm Syndrome. Hell, I was even considering buying the ironic t-shirts before I realized I'm almost 30. On record, their charm is the twisting story that runs through Seperation Sunday; live, it's just that they bring rock. They didn't stick to Separation Sunday or the chronology of that album (although you could argue that there isn't a chronology, no timeline, beyond the final two songs). They went with old stuff, unreleased stuff, and left out what I felt was a healthy chunk of the album that brought the crowd. Didn't matter. Everyone's said it: they're a bar band. You smoke and you drink and you sing along. That's pretty much the definition of a good night out. When you see them live, it's not some grand intellectual or spiritual thing. It wasn't a resurrection, not like you may find at a Springsteen show. It's just good music played loud, songs about stoned kids in the midwest. (If I wrote for the Post I might point out that they have a lot of energy. I don't write for the Post.) And for $10 on a Wednesday night in the middle of a shit week, yeah, it's all I could want.

One last thing: Don't you hate it when someone's complaint about a show was what the band didn't play some song? Yeah, me too. Anyway, where the eff was "How a Resurrection Really Feels"? That's my jawn.