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The Hold Steady brought its new four-guitar lineup to the 9:30 Monday night in support of its new record, Heaven is Whenever, and the result was one of the better examples of joy I’ve seen in some time at a live show, both on stage and in front of it.
Enthusiastic pogoing, above-the-head clapping, and reckless singing were all in evidence. And that was just the audience. After the encore, a grinning Craig Finn, the band’s lead singer and leader in the clapping, singing, and pogoing, remained on stage a few seconds later than the rest of the band, amid the sweaty cheering din of the crowd. He said simply, “We love playing the 9:30 Club.”
View the rest of the photos from the set here.