The Hold Steady "Stuck Between Stations" (20.1 MB) from Boys and Girls in America Orpheum Stagedoor Madison, WI May 18, 2007

Before heading out to the Hold Steady show yesterday, I wondered aloud to Emily if they might be in a position to steal away the "best band" title I'd given to the Long Winters after we saw them play in March. And I think they sort of did, but only sort of. If I ever finish writing my top albums of 2006 post, the two bands will share the #1 spot, because I found it impossible to think of ways in which one was clearly insurmountably better than the other. In the same way, their live shows are too divergent to really compare -- the Hold Steady has become the holy grail of would-be arena rock for indie scum like myself. This song, their set and latest album opener, hits that nail pretty squarely on the head and set the sell-out crowd jumping for the next hour.