The Hold Steady Announce Live DVD CD

The Hold Steady are a really great band. It took me a while to realize that for some reason, longer than it took Bruce Springsteen , anyways. Some time last year when Stay Positive was released something clicked between me and the Hold Steady; something genuine and great which rock and roll music doesn't make me feel very often anymore. To be sure, The Hold Steady are an American Rock and Roll band, in the long, proud, and unashamed tradition of the Boss, and that was something that always made me shrug my shoulders at them until recently.

Then I realized what it was that made a group of aging gentlemen who aren't extremely good-looking or related to famous people famous for being a bar-rock band: they're really good. They write really great songs, and apparently put on an incredible show (usually called one of the best by those who've witnessed it). Well, sadly I've never had the pleasure of watching them perform music in a live setting, but that's all about to change - sort of.

On April 7, Vagrant will release Positive Rage which is a 2-Disc Live Documentary Live album: the first disc consisting of the documentary; the second disc consisting of a live album containing the show the band played on Halloween 2007 at the Metro in Chicago, which should be pretty awesome all around. Pitchfork has the tracklist to the CD part, no word yet on what is contained in the DVD in the way of music.

The Hold Steady 2008 Tour Dates:
02-04 Sydney, Australia - Metro Theatre
02-06 Perth, Australia - Laneway Festival
02-07 Adelaide, Australia - Laneway Festival
02-08 Sydney, Australia - Laneway Festival
03-31 Albany, NY - Valentine's *
04-01 Buffalo, NY - Tralf Music Hall *
04-02 Grand Rapids, MI - Calvin College Fine Arts Center *
04-03 Urbana, IL - Illini Courtyard Cafe *
04-04 Bloomington, IN - Jake's Nightclub *
04-06 St. Louis, MO - Gargoyle *
04-07 Iowa City, IA - Picador *
04-08 Omaha, NE - Slowdown *
04-10 Boulder, CO - Fox Theatre *
04-11 Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge *
04-14 Stateline, NV - Harrah's Tahoe South Shore Room *
04-15 Sacramento, CA - Harlow's *
04-17 Indio, CA - Coachella Festival
05-10 Glasgow, Scotland - SECC ^
05-11 Manchester, England - Manchester Evening News Arena ^
05-13 Birmingham, England - NIA ^
05-14 London, England - Wembley Arena ^
05-16 Cardiff, England - Cardiff Arena ^
05-18 Bournemouth, England - BIC ^
05-19 Nottingham, England - Royal Centre ^
05-21 Brixton, England - Academy ^