Hold Steady Live CD/DVD Set En Route

Captures the Craig Finn crew in full flight in '08, plus some cool bonus studio material.

By Blurt Staff

Vagrant Records has announced an April 7 release date for A Positive Rage, a double disc package from the Hold Steady featuring a documentary on DVD and their first-ever live album. (The set will be released on April 6 on Rough Trade Records in the UK and Europe.)

A Positive Rage captures the excitement and high spirits of both the band and their fans in the days surrounding the release of their third full-length, Boys and Girls in America, (Vagrant) and ensuing world tour in 2006.

The 53-minute documentary begins with The Hold Steady's first ever London performances with never-before-seen live footage, back stage interviews with the band members, fan commentary and the original, raw audio. Cameras follow the band as they return to the US for a 24-date tour that culminates on screen with an especially poignant performance at First Avenue in Minneapolis.

The live album was recorded on October 31, 2007 and includes seventeen songs that Craig Finn, Tad Kubler, Galen Polivka, Franz Nicolay, and Bobby Drake performed on the second of their two-night sold-out stand at the Metro in Chicago. The enhanced album will also feature five bonus studio tracks: "Ask Her For Adderall," "Cheyenne Sunrise," "Two Handed Handshake," and the previously unreleased tracks "Spectres" and "40 Bucks."

The booklet features personal photos and the band's memories of the tour, including this excerpt from Craig Finn... "It ended up being a fantastic suburban blow out with band and audience on the floor, Frisbee and tailgating in the adjoining parking lot, and everyone singing along to every song.... It reminded me of the hardcore shows I loved as a kid, everyone sweating and screaming together in a rented hall. And drinking in the parking lot, of course. The next night worlds converged.... "

A Positive Rage track listing:

1. Intro
2. Stuck Between Stations
3. The Swish
4. Chips Ahoy!
5. Massive Nights
6. Ask Her For Adderall
7. Barfruit Blues
8. Same Kooks
9. You Gotta Dance (With Who You Came With)
10. Lord, I'm Discouraged
11. You Can Make Him Like You
12. Your Little Hoodrat Friend
13. Southtown Girls
14. Citrus
15. First Night
16. Girls Like Status
17. Killer Parities


THE HOLD STEADY on tour:

Feb 4 - Sydney, AUS @ The Metro Theatre
Feb 6 - Perth, AUS @ Laneway Festival
Feb 7 - Adelaide, AUS @ Laneway Festival
Feb 8 - Sydney, AUS @ Laneway Festival
Mar 31 - Albany, NY @ Valentine's
Apr 1 - Buffalo, NY @ Tralf Music Hall
Apr 2 - Grand Rapids, MI @ Calvin College Fine Arts Center
Apr 3 - Urbana, IL @ Illini Courtyard Café
Apr 4 - Bloomington, IN @ Jake's Nightclub
Apr 6 - St. Louis, MO @ Gargoyle
Apr 7 - Iowa City, IA @ The Picador
Apr 8 - Omaha, NE @ Slowdown
Apr 10 - Boulder, CO @ Fox Theatre
Apr 11 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Urban Lounge
Apr 13 - Las Vegas, NV @ Beauty Bar
Apr 14 - Stateline, NV @ Harrah's Tahoe South Shore Room
Apr 17 - Indio, CA @ Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
Apr 15 - Sacramento, CA @ Harlow's
May 10 - Glasgow, UK @ SECC #
May 11 - Manchester, UK @ Manchester Evening News Arena #
May 13 - Birmingham, UK @ NIA #
May 14 - London, UK @ Wembley Arena #
May 16 - Cardiff, UK @ Cardiff Arena #
May 18 - Bournemouth, UK @ BIC #
May 19 - Nottingham, UK @ Royal Centre #
May 21 - Brixton, UK @ Academy #
May 30 - Hunter Mountain, NY @ Mountain Jam
# - supporting Counting Crows