Live review: The Hold Steady at Metro

Their unique combo of lyrically-intense storytelling and hyped-up energy makes The Hold Steady an incredibly fun band to watch live. Like their performance at Lolla over the summer, last night’s show at the Metro was no exception. Dancing, jumping, kicking and sweating their way through their set and encores showed how much they love performing.

Some fans came decked out in costume, but it was the opening band Art Brut that took the dress-up part of Halloween very seriously (lead singer Eddie Argos came out in an Elvis costume, his bandmates dressed as a Viking and some scary gorilla thing--how steamy would that be to perform in?!). They're a good opening act for The Hold Steady with their honest, self-deprecating lyrics. But they're pretty jokey on-stage. It reminded me of an Austin Powers sequence as Argos lasso'ed the microphone and joked with the crowd.

After Art Brut and their absurdist and loveable antics left the stage, it was time for the main event. Instead of donning his trademark Twins jersey, lead singer Craig Finn and his crew came out wearing sombreros and colorful ponchos in honor of Halloween. Finn ditched his "costume" pretty quickly to reveal a blue button-down shirt. The vibe wasn't as boisterous and rowdy as Lolla, but Finn still swigged beer and other unidentified liquids from bottles throughout the night. They borrowed heavily from the fan favorites on their most recent album Boys and Girls In America. “We don’t play this very often,” Finn told the enthusiastic crowd as the band struck the opening chords to “Chillout Tent” (sans female vocalist). The show balanced hard-hitting rock and roll numbers, like “Southtown Girls,” and melodic ballads, like the quiet and sobering “First Night” as an encore.

Finn told the audience that the band is working on a live album, so the show was recorded and filmed (maybe for a video?). The audience was treated to two new tunes, the slow, somber ballad “Lord I’m Disturbed” and the peppy “Ask Her For Adderall,” both of which are expected to be on their next album.