Photo by Alexa Jones

The weekend started early for the city’s music fans. Mine was spent with friends, old and new, getting bowled over by lots of their favorite artists; from the obvious adoration-fest with Bruce Springsteen at the Xcel on Friday, to the Robyn Hitchcock show at the Cedar on Sunday night, where I saw some people get just as emotional. Even as I arrived early for Art Brut but too late for openers, Federale, there was an obvious mood of excitement that washed over the State Theater.

Photo by Alexa Jones

While the buzz and mid-level indie popularity of Art Brut remained mostly intact, the State Theatre belonged to The Hold Steady. As the lights went down, the tone welled up from excited chatter to thunderous cheering.

Why the State was chosen for the venue was beyond my scope of understanding. The confines of a theater atmosphere don’t really mesh with The Hold Steady’s classic rock-meets-post-punk sound. And nothing made us long for more seize-dance space than Craig Finn’s joyously childlike, fragmented movements.

Photo by Alexa Jones

Needless to say, The Hold Steady’s homecoming was awfully poignant, with shout outs to the band's parents in the theater, and the well-versed mentions of local landmarks and the mundane yet notable places we probably cross or visit every day. The scope of how much this show not only meant to their fans, but how much the show meant to them personally, is best described through the heartfelt sentiment of Craig Finn at the end of the show:

“There is so much joy in what we do up here.”

Well said, Craig.

Photo Gallery by Alexa Jones