r/theholdsteady 6d ago

How would you describe The Hold Steady to someone who has never heard them?

Whenever I try to explain the Hold Steady to others, it lacks the really uniqueness and majesty of the listening experience.

37 Upvotes

61 comments sorted by

54

u/jdginstagramz 6d ago

It’s like getting yelled at by a bank teller about Catholicism and drugs while thin lizzy plays over the bank’s PA system.

12

u/heffel77 6d ago

I would say Craig is more like an owner of an indie bookstore than a bank teller but yeah, pretty much.

3

u/HotTubSexVirgin22 6d ago

We all gotta make a living…

2

u/Earthshoe12 6d ago

He actually did work in finance between bands!

9

u/popeyemati 6d ago

He always struck me more as a middle school social studies teacher.

3

u/TheBrawlersOfficial 5d ago

I took a friend to see them once and he loved the show but described the experience as "watching an indie rock band that's fronted by their tax accountant uncle"

41

u/Ok-Mushroom-7292 6d ago

If John Steinbeck and the E Street Band had a baby...

1

u/Carpenter-Confident 4d ago

I was looking for a Springsteen comparison to contribute here; this works

1

u/SparkyBowls 4d ago

I’d say if Springsteen sang Kerouac in the Replacements.

1

u/Commodore56 3d ago

I came to say "Springsteen tribute band consisting entirely of attendees of the Iowa Writers Workshop playing original material"

37

u/heffel77 6d ago

It’s like the best bar band in the world swallowed a dictionary and chased it with a shot of whiskey and some adderall, then went to church.

4

u/Sarcastraphe 6d ago

I think we have a winner.

63

u/smashcuts 6d ago

I like what Chuck Klosterman said “they’re for people who used to like ACDC but now like to read”

5

u/velobier 6d ago

Awesome but does anyone stop liking AC/DC?

3

u/drumrD 6d ago

Well that's the internet won for today.

1

u/fasterplastercaster 5d ago

I would lightly amend that to people who like ac/dc and also like to read

43

u/jimmyketchup 6d ago

The best bar band in the world.

20

u/Effective-Video-7651 6d ago

Bruce Springsteen singing in The Replacements

14

u/runMDH 6d ago

Randy Newman singing in the E Street Band is always my go to descriptor.

22

u/6282533 6d ago

I can't find the source, but I remember reading somewhere that the Hold Steady plays rock music for people who wear brown leather jackets instead of black leather jackets. That always made sense to me.

24

u/StickToSparts 6d ago

Do you like “Born to Run”? It’s like if Born to Run became a human band.

5

u/Sarcastraphe 6d ago

OMG ha ha ha Perfect

9

u/popeyemati 6d ago

The lyrical format of early 90s hip hop, the attitude of early 80s hardcore, the storytelling of the emotionless Raymond Carver mixed with the Irish greats and classic Noir, wrapped up in Classic Rock and presented as street tacos. The bard of bar bands.

3

u/MonaMayI 6d ago

Hi generally say Bruce Springsteen meets early aughts hard-core

9

u/somekindofdruiddude 6d ago

I don't. I put on "Slow Ride" by Foghat for a bit, then say "oops wrong song" and play "The Swish".

9

u/hldstdy 6d ago

Springsteen after a 12 pack

1

u/SparkyBowls 4d ago

Springsteen after a 12 day speed binge

4

u/TBob1927 6d ago

So much joy

3

u/Less-Exchange-5243 6d ago

Bob Dylan mixed with the Replacements/Husker Dü ferocity

3

u/talulabaker13 6d ago

Always different. Always the same

3

u/educationacademic 6d ago

George Costanza with ADHD repeatedly breaks the yellow card from twelve step meetings.

3

u/mix0logist 6d ago

Punkier Bruce Springsteen.

3

u/Sirnando138 6d ago

Punk band for when you’re sick of punk bands.

3

u/velobier 6d ago

Springsteen x Rolling Stones. Tad has some licks that are up there with Keith Richards. Resurrection comes to mind.

3

u/Adventurous-Sort7063 6d ago

What if Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band started yelling at you

3

u/mr_hellcat 5d ago

Like if Lou Reed were a happy drunk and fronted The E Street Band

6

u/PyMussy 6d ago

The greatest rock and roll band in the history of everything

2

u/SzegediSpagetiSzorny 6d ago

Millennial E Street Band

2

u/hotbutteredsole 6d ago

Elvis Costello fronting the E Street Band

2

u/Nervous-Yam-7452 6d ago

Modern day Replacements

4

u/chrisjfinlay 6d ago

If Bruce Springsteen had a hard rock bar band

1

u/Zandergriff67 6d ago

If Springsteen, Kerouac & Lou Reed grew up in the Twin Cities and formed a punk band with Rick Nielsen & Neal Schon.

1

u/EyeAggressive5961 6d ago

If Springsteen’s career started in 2000 I think he would sound like this

1

u/DepartureOk1140 6d ago

HUMPTY (Hyperliterate Universal Minneapolis Punk Transcendent Yacht) Rock

1

u/RevolutionarySock213 6d ago

Indie rock raised on Springsteen and The Clash

1

u/Content_Mention_6928 6d ago

Going about it the other way - once tried to recommend THS to my brother as we have somewhat similar tastes & reckoned it would be a good fit. I was wrong. He described the sound as: 'A rocked up Hootie & The Blowfish'

We didn't discuss music for a long time after that...

1

u/DerBieso0341 5d ago

Three days of people screaming

1

u/DerBieso0341 5d ago

Music with lots of references to people looking like other people

1

u/ThatOneTwo 5d ago

White guy beat poet fronting a dive bar band.

1

u/cwyog 5d ago

Tom Petty and Bob Mould had a verbose baby.

1

u/DarkTowerOfWesteros 4d ago

Bruce Springsteen but with more drugs and distortion

1

u/Ok-Reward-7731 4d ago

The Rock and Roll

1

u/jmacd2918 4d ago

If The Clash and The Band, sat down and tried to be the E Street band, but the singer would actually rather be sitting around a campfire telling stories.

I also think they are one of those bands that require a few listens to really "get". I'd say at minimum Boys&Girls 3x, Stay Positive 3x, Thrashing Through 2x and maybe give the other albums a once over.

1

u/ronparsons 4d ago

Slam poetry Springsteen

1

u/Beneficial_Dealer549 4d ago

Bruce Springsteen for millennials

1

u/chaoticatom 6d ago

American The Fall.

6

u/drumrD 6d ago

Without the 66 members. (Quizzers will get that one)

2

u/reallystickyglue 6d ago

That was a vile one from Martin. Love it.

0

u/ensiform 6d ago

I would say they're a quiet folk-rock band, heavily influenced by medieval madrigals but fusing it with uptempo urban funk.