The Hold Steady have such a raucous bar-band sound that you might assume that they’d be a great live act. A Positive Rage, their first live album, doesn’t completely contradict that notion, but despite a strong collection of songs from the band’s first three albums, this CD/DVD concert memento is solid but not spectacular. Hardcore Hold Steady fans will want A Positive Rage simply because they love this Brooklyn band, but the casual listener may have a hard time understanding what the fuss is about.
A Time Capsule of a Band's Peak
A Positive Rage documents the Hold Steady’s performance at Chicago’s Metro on Halloween night 2007. A year earlier, the band (led by frontman Craig Finn) had released the critically-acclaimed Boys and Girls in America, so naturally the majority of this live disc’s track list comes from that record. Considering that Boys and Girls was the band’s most commercially popular album to that point, the Hold Steady were riding a wave of great reviews and an expanding fan base when they played this particular show, and the energy is palpable – both the band and the crowd sound positively juiced.
Guess You Had to Be There
Having seen the Hold Steady on tour to promote their subsequent Stay Positive record, I can attest to the fact that one of the best things about seeing this band live is actually seeing them. Finn may gyrate around the stage with all the grace of a geeked-out nerd, but his unbridled enthusiasm is immensely charming. Complementing his sporadic movements, the rest of the band simply bring the noise, particularly ace guitarist Tad Kubler, who solos and riffs like a fiend. On the DVD documentary that accompanies A Positive Rage, Finn mentions how much he loved the Replacements, and like that influential ‘80s indie-rock group, the Hold Steady prefer a loud, sweaty show to a tightly choreographed one. No doubt A Positive Rage feels loud and sweaty, but the sad truth is that not many of the songs on this live album match or surpass their studio versions. That doesn’t make A Positive Rage a disaster, but it does make it a little disappointing.
Decent Versions of Memorable Songs
You can’t complain about the songs picked for A Positive Rage. Inevitably, Boys and Girls in America is over-represented, but choice cuts from Almost Killed Me, Separation Sunday and even the yet-to-be-released Stay Positive are included, making for a decent overview of the band’s short-story narratives and urgent rock ‘n’ roll tone. But while A Positive Rage captures the joy that the Hold Steady radiate in their live performances, the execution is decidedly hit-and-miss. Great songs like “Southtown Girls” and “Your Little Hoodrat Friend” drag rather than ignite, and fantastic rockers like “The Swish” and “Stuck Between Stations” are good but not quite amazing. And while Finn can be a lot of fun in concert, on A Positive Rage his screamed-talked vocals can start to feel shtick-y. The result of these deficiencies is that while you’re happy for the songs included, you don’t always love the renditions.
Softer Moments Shine
If nothing else, A Positive Rage proves that the Hold Steady don’t just do pile-driving sing-along songs. Some of this album’s best moments are its softest, where the jagged live energy adds tension to the hushed vulnerability of “Citrus” and “Lord I’m Discouraged.” (Anybody who’s gone to a concert that’s been ruined by some obnoxious jerk yelling during the ballads will be happy to know that no such cretin mars A Positive Rage’s quieter tracks.) But if you’re new to the Hold Steady, do not start with A Positive Rage – the band’s passion, smarts and nonstop energy are better represented on their studio albums than on this ragged, sporadically terrific concert album.
“You Can Make Him Like You”
“Ask Her for Adderall”
“First Night”
“Citrus”
'A Positive Rage' – Best Tracks:
“Lord I’m Discouraged”“You Can Make Him Like You”
“Ask Her for Adderall”
“First Night”
“Citrus”
Release date – April 7, 2009
Vagrant Records/Frenchkiss
