did
As expected, The Hold Steady show last night was fantastic. Apparently word has officially gotten out about these guys (maybe due to both Spin and Rolling Stone naming their album Almost Killed Me the #1 best album you didn’t hear in 2004) because the Mercury Lounge was packed. Packed. I still managed to wiggle my little way up to the front. Gotta see Craig Finn close enough to watch the sweat drip, you know. It’s really the only way. Of course, by this point in my show-going life you’d think I would have learned that it’s better not to stand directly in front of the guitarist’s amp and directly under a speaker. Yeah. My ears are still ringing.
They played a lot of new material. Sounds like the new album (due out in the spring) is going to be amazing. One song in particular, “Stevie Nicks,” floored me.
For some reason I never expect all that much from opening bands, but one of the opening acts, a rapper named P.O.S. was really great. Great enough that I bought the CD. He doesn’t seem to have a website, but he’s worth looking for if you want to do some poking around. I’m a sucker for good lyrics and he’s got ’em.
Last night I made a bit of a confession to Craig. When I’m working on the novel, I use his music–from his previous band Lifter Puller and from The Hold Steady–as a kind of shortcut to get my head to where it needs to be for my main character. (I’ve told him this before.) Well, much as I’ve been careful not to let this happen, one line from a Lifter Puller song snuck into the book, albeit in an ever so slightly modified form. So I told him this and said I’d be fine with changing it if that wasn’t okay. But it is okay. He’s given the lyric lifting his blessing. (Now let’s hope he actually likes the way I’ve used it when he reads the book. Yes, he will most certainly be getting a copy of the book when it exists in actual book form.) No, I won’t tell you what the line is. Lifter Puller fans will have to look for it themselves in the text. And if you aren’t a Lifter Puller fan (what’s wrong with you?! kidding. kind of.) then this is your official tip-off to start boning up on the lyrics if you want to play “Find what Cari stole.” Why am I making so much of one little line? Dunno. Because in my overtired state it amuses me.
They’ve got two more dates listed on the site right now. If they’re coming to your area, do yourself a favor and check them out. (Sutton, this means you!)
Oh–and the new drummer played with them last night. He rocked.
And now a bit of news: Yesterday afternoon, before heading out to the show, I finished the first draft of the novel. Yep. Tomorow I start revisions. It still hasn’t totally hit me, but there it is. I’ve got a completed first draft–and now the real work begins.
Congrats on the completion of your first draft. I need to get back to mine when there isn’t so much damned music going on.
Speaking of, what do this best band I didn’t hear last year sound like?
-S
Posted by: he who gets flocks of geese to change directions
congratulations! that is great news.
Posted by: mrspilkington
Glad you liked your concert. It’s so great when less known awesome bands get some exposure. Yaay on getting the first draft done! I bet that doing revisions isn’t nearly as fun though huh?
Posted by: Vicki
I just found your blog thanks to discovering you had written an adaptation of a Wallace Stevens poem in homage to your Clapotis…that is just SO COOL…and congrats on finishing the first draft of your novel. Very big step. I’d kill to finish the second draft of my poetry manuscript, but I’m…uh…knitting a Clapotis ;-)))) Bonne chance with the revising process. That’s where it’s all fun and games ’til someone pokes their eye out with a red pencil…
Posted by: Lee Ann
First draft. Yeah!
Posted by: claudia
Hey, congrats. That’s big.
Posted by: Ann
Hooray for the first draft!
Posted by: Steph
Holy CRAP! You did it! You are my hero!
I’m so proud, proud, proud….
xo
Posted by: Rachael
Wow! That’s amazing. Congratulations!
Posted by: Leisel
Congrats on the completion of your first draft. I need to get back to mine when there isn’t so much damned music going on.
Speaking of, what do this best band I didn’t hear last year sound like?
-S
Posted by: he who gets flocks of geese to change directions
congratulations! that is great news.
Posted by: mrspilkington
Glad you liked your concert. It’s so great when less known awesome bands get some exposure. Yaay on getting the first draft done! I bet that doing revisions isn’t nearly as fun though huh?
Posted by: Vicki
I just found your blog thanks to discovering you had written an adaptation of a Wallace Stevens poem in homage to your Clapotis…that is just SO COOL…and congrats on finishing the first draft of your novel. Very big step. I’d kill to finish the second draft of my poetry manuscript, but I’m…uh…knitting a Clapotis ;-)))) Bonne chance with the revising process. That’s where it’s all fun and games ’til someone pokes their eye out with a red pencil…
Posted by: Lee Ann
First draft. Yeah!
Posted by: claudia
Hey, congrats. That’s big.
Posted by: Ann
Hooray for the first draft!
Posted by: Steph
Holy CRAP! You did it! You are my hero!
I’m so proud, proud, proud….
xo
Posted by: Rachael
Wow! That’s amazing. Congratulations!
Posted by: Leisel
Damn, sounds like a great show. Can’t wait for the new CD. The husband mentioned that they’ve been on a few other music editors’/critics’ top 10 lists, and deservedly so, by gum.
Love the offhand way you snuck in the finishing of the First Draft. Awesome achievement, girl.
Posted by: mindy
complete first draft. rock on. can’t wait for the ‘share with the rest of the world’ version!
Posted by: rebecca
wow! congrats! 🙂
Posted by: maeve
But… the snow…
Posted by: Sutton
One word: YAY.
Posted by: susan
WOW. Congratulations. And good luck, too, now.
Posted by: valentina
Gimme a ‘D’!
Gimme an ‘a’!
Gimme an ‘n’!
Gimme a ‘z’!
Gimme an ‘a’!
Gimme an ‘F’!
Gimme an ‘e’!
Gimme an ‘l’!
Gimme an ‘i’!
Gimme a ‘z’!
What’s that spell??
DANZA FELIZ!
(There’s probably a colloquial way to say that in Spanish, but you get the idea.)
Posted by: David
You totally rock, in every sense of the word 🙂
Posted by: Alison
Damn, sounds like a great show. Can’t wait for the new CD. The husband mentioned that they’ve been on a few other music editors’/critics’ top 10 lists, and deservedly so, by gum.
Love the offhand way you snuck in the finishing of the First Draft. Awesome achievement, girl.
Posted by: mindy
complete first draft. rock on. can’t wait for the ‘share with the rest of the world’ version!
Posted by: rebecca
wow! congrats! 🙂
Posted by: maeve
But… the snow…
Posted by: Sutton
One word: YAY.
Posted by: susan
WOW. Congratulations. And good luck, too, now.
Posted by: valentina
Gimme a ‘D’!
Gimme an ‘a’!
Gimme an ‘n’!
Gimme a ‘z’!
Gimme an ‘a’!
Gimme an ‘F’!
Gimme an ‘e’!
Gimme an ‘l’!
Gimme an ‘i’!
Gimme a ‘z’!
What’s that spell??
DANZA FELIZ!
(There’s probably a colloquial way to say that in Spanish, but you get the idea.)
Posted by: David
You totally rock, in every sense of the word 🙂
Posted by: Alison