The Hold Steady @ Irving Plaza, NYC [10/1/06]

To say I was unprepared for how good tonight's Hold Steady show would be is an understatement. I'd seen the band live only once before, on the tour for Separation Sunday, and while I remember thinking it was a good show, I don't remember them being anywhere near as good as they were tonight.

From the first song to the last, the band simply owned the room. For a band that hasn't toured lately, they sounded extremely tight (with one or two minor exceptions). The crowd was nuts, at least up front, and even though the band's new album, Boys and Girls in America still hasn't leaked (n.b., it should tonight, given that the CD was for sale at the show), people somehow sang along with every new song. And when they played the older stuff, it was practically bedlam. Damn I wish I'd had more to drink.

See this band when they come to your town. I don't say this lightly - and some of you might not be able to appreciate what I mean by this - but in many ways, I think we've found the next Guided By Voices.