The Hold Steady and Drive-By Truckers at The Paramount (June 28, 2014)

This weekend I made my way all the way out to Huntington for a rare trip out to Long Island to catch The Hold Steady play with Drive-By Truckers at The Paramount. It was a duel headlining tour if you will, with both bands getting equal stage times (The Hold Steady played first, then Drive-By Truckers).

I last saw The Hold Steady play an intimate show at Music Hall of Williamsburg this past February in celebration of their 10th anniversary as a band. It’s only been a few month since the release of their new album Teeth Dreams, but the band only played four of its songs (“The Only Thing”, “I Hope This Whole Thing Didn’t Frighten You”, “Spinners” and “The Ambassador.”

Most of the set was a pretty even split of their discography, with everything from “Charlemagne in Sweatpants” to “Stuck Between Stations” and “You Can Mike Him Like You.” Before “Your Little Hoodrat Friend” Craig Finn told us how in 2002 he saw a show at Bowery Ballroom that blew him away and made him want to start a rock band again. It turns out that band that he saw was Drive-By Truckers, which brought the whole thing full circle as they were now playing with them. Finn was his usual animated self, full of his hilarious moves and crowd interactions. You can’t help but smile while watching him perform. The rest of the band is a bit more reserved, but they don’t hold back either.

As they came on stage, Drive-By Truckers’ Patterson Hood took a moment to dedicate the night to the late Bobby Womack, who passed away over the weekend. It was a kind gesture, and one that was not lost on their set. It was my first time catching the Truckers, although I have been a casual listener of their work over the years. They were as sharp as I expected, led by the tag-team of Mike Cooley and Patterson Hood. But it was bassist Matt Patton whose presence held my attention throughout their performance. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anyone look happier on stage than Patton, who unabashedly shared a gleeful smile throughout the show’s entire duration. It was a joyful thing to watch.

For the encore the band was joined by The Hold Steady and did a bunch of covers, that included Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World”, Bruce Springsteen’s “Adam Raised a Cain”, and The Jim Carroll Band’s “People Who Died.” It was a loose and fun encore that was more of a drinking session between the two bands as they ran through the covers. It was cool to see two bands collaborating on such a friendly level, making Finn’s story at Bowery Ballroom seem that much more impressive.

Below find photos of both bands (as well as their encore) along with their setlists.

The Hold Steady:

1. The Sweet Part Of The City
2. The Only Thing
3. Hornets! Hornets!
4. I Hope This Whole Thing Didn’t Frighten You
5. Sequestered in Memphis
6. You Can Make Him Like You
7. Spinners
8. The Ambassador
9. The Weekenders
10. Charlemagne in Sweatpants
11. Constructive Summer
12. Hot Soft Light
13. Chips Ahoy!
14. Stuck Between Stations
15. Your Little Hoodrat Friend
16. Massive Nights
17. Southtown Girls

Drive-By Truckers:

1. Birthday Boy
2. The Righteous Path
3. A Ghost to Most
4. When He’s Gone
5. 3 Dimes Down
6. Why Henry Drinks
7. Love Like This
8. Pauline Hawkins
9. Primer Coat
10. Box Spiders
11. Where the Devil Don’t Stay
12. Goode’s Field Road
13. Made Up English Oceans
14. Hell No, I Ain’t Happy

Encore (with The Hold Steady):
15. Shit Shots Count
16. Let There Be Rock
17. Adam Raised a Cain (Bruce Springsteen Cover)
18. Rockin’ in the Free World (Neil Young Cover)
19. People Who Died (The Jim Carroll Band Cover)
20. Grand Canyon

The Hold Steady: