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At Hold Steady shows, Craig Finn and company tend to steamroll through songs (and six-packs) with such authority that inter-tune banter is usually kept to a minimum. But during almost every setlist, Finn works in a spirited reflection on how his late-in-the-game rock success (he was just shy of 35 when THS started gaining traction) has been nothing short of a dream fulfilled. And with six full-length albums in the last eight years–five with The Hold Steady, and a new debut solo effort, Clear Heart Full Eyes–you can tell he’s not bullshitting. Craig Finn, more than just about anyone else out there, loves making music.
On Thursday night, Finn brought his Clear Heart material and new four-piece backing band, Some Guns, to a half-capacity crowd at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, where, outside of slow-creeping-but-explosive show opener “Apollo Bay,” the vibe was much more stand-and-sway than fist-pump-and-rage. Finn’s usually manic onstage theatrics were subdued by the acoustic guitar in his hands that he actually seemed to be doing some work on. (Finn, a self-admittedly mediocre musician, generally tends to use his guitar more as a rock-n-roll prop than an instrument.) Midset, Finn even played a few songs solo, including “The Dudes From St. Paul,” a quippy, chorusless tune about clashing with crosstown rivals.
Finn kept the show intimate, discussing the origins of Clear Heart songs throughout the night. “Rented Room,” a melancholy alt-rock ballad that plays like a weeknight spent in an abandoned bar, was inspired by the utter joylessness of being a grown-ass man and still living with roommates. “Balcony,” a country-infused standout complete with a weepy guitar refrain, tells the tale of a night out that ends with the heartwrenching sight of your date in a full-on makeout session with someone else.
Lyrically, Finn’s solo songs weren’t too far off from his Hold Steady fare–there were stories of messy romances, and there were on-again, off-again relationships with Jesus. But this show was, for lack of a better word, more grown-up, and It’s refreshing stuff coming from Finn. The malaise of adulthood might not be as much fun as the debauchery of youth, but it’s probably a little more interesting. After all, there comes a time in everyone’s life when–if even for a short time–you need to step away from the mosh pit.
words by Adam D’Arpino
