What's Rare and other live questions.

[theweekender]

Hey. I'm possibly going to my first show in July and while I'm really into the music, I haven't really explored the live scene in any depth. On my first Springsteen concert, I got a very rare playing of The Detroit Medley (the tour premiere and everything), but I had no clue what it was or the significance. I promised myself I would never do that again. It's such a cool feeling when the band or musician makes your show special by playing a song they rarely play for you. However, I can't get that feeling if I don't know what's rare. They could play their equivalent to "The Price You Pay" (I promise I'm not one of those people who discovered them because of Springsteen. He is my favorite artist, but it's unrelated.) So I want to know what songs are rare or what should I pee myself over if they play.

Also, until recently most of my artists were old people, where the average fan could barely move, much less be beligerent. So my question is, will there be "moshing" or other type of dancing that involves trying your hardest to knock people over. I don't care one way or the other, I can mosh as good as the next person, I just want to be prepared before the first person runs into me. Also, I'm not a heavy drinker. I might have a beer. Or two, if I'm feeling dangerous. It's not out of some high moral stand point, but it has everything to do with the fact that I'm a poor college student and getting myself to Toronto for 3 days is about all I can do. But, will I be out of place being sober. It's not a bad thing, just trying to prepare. And I'm not saying anything about you fine people. The Hold Steady is a bar band with party anthems, with one of them having the line "Get hammered!" Again, I just want to be prepared for my first show.

Thanks for the help. Most of this is just out of sheer excitement. I don't think I've ever been this excited for a show.

[kojiroshinkara]

The shows are pretty fun, you'll get jostled around a good deal. As far as uncommon songs, that depends. If you get one of the b-sides, like Girls Like Status, or For Boston, it's pretty good, but they rotate through em. If you want to know the really rare songs, those are the ones on the wiki without known recordings, like Gideon's Conversation. Another new one that's popped up is Criminal fingers.

They also sometimes whip out covers, which isn't common to them. I've seen em play one or two like History Lesson Part II by the Minutemen. Apparently they played Your Time is Gonna Come by Zep at one point as well. If you catch The Ballad of the Midnight Hauler, you're good, as well as Arms and Hearts or even Hot Fries. Another cool one to look out for is the AKM b-side, You Gotta Dance, which is played somewhat often, but not all the time.

But really, looking out for rarities isn't really the biggest thing, cause the show's atmosphere is what matters. And the people don't always get into the rarer songs quite as well IMO.

[theweekender]

Awesome. I figured as much. I just was lurking around and I heard people mentioning how lucky they were for getting songs like Knuckles and Multitude of Casualties (don't know if those were the specifics). And I don't mind being jostled, in fact I look forward to moving around. Can't do that as much at the Springsteen shows.

The reason I ask is because I saw The Gaslight Anthem twice. The first night, the audience was relatively calm, more intent on listening and singing and fist pumping. The second night, some really wasted guy who could barely stand decided he wanted to be in front and what started as people standing their ground to keep their spot, turn into a small fight, which turned into a mosh pit (from what I could see) and my friend almost lost his glasses. It was fun once I got into it, but being prepared would have been nice

[kojiroshinkara]

Drunkeness varies by area I guess. Most of the LA scene is rowdy and having a good time, but not wasted to the point of oblivion. They don't often play some songs, like Knuckles, but I mean, they're excited to hear a song they like personally, not necessarily a rarity.

I mean, I'm still waiting to hear Girls Like Status, For Boston, American Music, and a couple others live. I'd love to hear Gideon's conversation, which has only been played a handful of times. Criminal Fingers would be cool, as well as 40 Bucks and Touchless, or even Ascension Blues. It's all a matter of what you want to hear. IMHO anyway.

EDIT

And 212 Margarita. And Atlantic City. And Hot Fries. And Milkcrate Mosh.

But yeah.

[delboydrums]

The 3 UK shows I've been to have been more about vigorous dancing / bouncing rather than "moshing" and certainly no smashing in the face - we're far too reserved for such nonsense!

Would love to hear any of Cheyenne Sunrise / Adderall / Two-Handed Handshake live, or maybe Atlantic City.

But then I'll be more than happy if I get either Discouraged or First Night, plus I NEED Positive Jam and Killer Parties.

[Phils_fan]

I really like this thread. I like to have a feeling for what I'm getting myself into too.

I'm a longtime Bruce fan and I think rarities in that context are more highly valued than in the Hold Steady shows. When Bruce plays The Price You Pay, there are a lot of fans who know he hasn't played it in 25 years or whenever. When THS plays Milkcrate Mosh, only a few fans will know the song and no one (that I know of) is keeping track of when each song was played. Sometimes we don't even get setlists!

I've been right up front for a few Bruce shows and no one touches you. If you're up front for THS, you'll be touched. Maybe bruised. Hang on to your glasses. It hurts but it's worth it.

Have fun!

[cre618]

Didn't we discover that Ascension Blues = Gideon's Conversation?

I'm with Phil's fan....there isn't really a THS version of "The Price You Pay." They rotate things pretty nicely. And, while I just loved "Milkcrate Mosh" last time they were in LA....the crowd didn't seem to know what was going on.

For me, I'd love to hear 40 Bucks. Since I love the song, and they've never played it live (I think), that one is pretty rare.

Jack

[parock]

All I would like is 212 or Teenage Liberation.

Curves and Nerves was awesome in DC in 08.

[motörben]

Milkcrate Mosh at some corporate bash on the top floor of a swanky London office building was a pretty special moment.

[mattjs]

Arms & Hearts has appeared in on a few setlists but is still pretty rare...I was there when the guys played it for Lil Han in Wolverhampton that was a special one

[theriver]

May 5, 2010 8:56:45 GMT -5 mattjs said:

Arms & Hearts has appeared in on a few setlists but is still pretty rare...I was there when the guys played it for Lil Han in Wolverhampton that was a special one

If my car hadn't broken down, I would have been at that gig.

[Admin]

There's a few that I've had the pleasure of seeing that are ones I haven't seen more than once or twice at other shows:

Arms and Hearts
Gideon's Conversion
212-Margarita
Knuckles
Hostile, Mass
Sketchy Metal
Both Crosses
The Ballad of the Midnight Hauler
Hot Fries
Touchless
Ascension Blues
Two-Handed Handshake

[Deleted]

I would love to hear Teenage Liberation. As for the sober thing, it may be hard to believe but I've seen sobriety at each of the shows I've been at. Might help that I'm 18 and usually there are 2-3 people in my group who just don't drink. It's about the music and the atmosphere.

[doctoracula]

i'm so bummed i've never seen them do curves and nerves or arms and hearts

i like songs that have titles about 2 things

[st5801]

May 5, 2010 8:08:38 GMT -5 cre618 said:

Didn't we discover that Ascension Blues = Gideon's Conversation?

Sharp Cross. Gideon's Conversion was only played once or twice. If it was released under another name, no one picked up on it yet. I don't remember ever hearing a description of what the song is like.

The big difference between Bruce and THS is the fact that Bruce has decades of material to draw from and tons of fans have seen him dozens or more times over a long period of time. This means the rarities are a little more special, and fans are craving to hear more out of the ordinary songs.

As far as THS goes, my "rarities ranking" would be:

1) Ballad of the Midnight Hauler
2) Curves and Nerves
3) Certain Songs
4) Hot Fries
5) 212-Margarita
6) Knuckles
7) Milkcrate Mosh
8) Arms and Hearts
9) Sweet Payne
10) Modestos not that Sweet

Runner ups: Crucifixion Cruise, Girls Like Status, You Gotta Dance

That's based on likelihood of play and how much I would like to hear the song. If you hear any of them, consider yourself lucky. They're all songs that they do play, but it may only be once or twice per tour or a few times total in a year. I didn't list songs like For Boston and Teenage Liberation, which they never play. But even with them it wouldn't surprise me if they played them eventually. I thought Hostile Mass was pretty much gone, then they played it last summer.

[doctoracula]

well at least i've seen modesto and sweet payne
the one time i saw sweet payne, i freaked the hell out

[jwd]

I saw 212 in Athens. Milkcrate Mosh in the Blue Sky lunchroom in London. Pretty awesome stuff when they go deep in to the setlist. Anybody seen Sketchy Metal? I think that's the only one I haven't seen live of the original tunes.

[Camie]

I remember when they played Curves and Nerves at Festival Pier in Philadelphia and almost dying.

Oh and seeing them play 212 at Bowery Ballroom and freaking out.

[Deleted]

May 5, 2010 2:17:04 GMT -5 theweekender said:

The reason I ask is because I saw The Gaslight Anthem twice. The first night, the audience was relatively calm, more intent on listening and singing and fist pumping. The second night, some really wasted guy who could barely stand decided he wanted to be in front and what started as people standing their ground to keep their spot, turn into a small fight, which turned into a mosh pit (from what I could see) and my friend almost lost his glasses. It was fun once I got into it, but being prepared would have been nice

the unpredictability is part of live shows... most of the THS shows have been more on the 'jostling and fist pumping' side but at a festival show there was some crowd-surfing and things got a bit rough. so yeah... be prepared for a good time, but it could tip over into something a bit more intense

i'm actually more worried about bored/boring indie kids killing the mood then moshing punks...

[Admin]

May 6, 2010 21:27:51 GMT -5 jwd said:

I saw 212 in Athens. Milkcrate Mosh in the Blue Sky lunchroom in London. Pretty awesome stuff when they go deep in to the setlist. Anybody seen Sketchy Metal? I think that's the only one I haven't seen live of the original tunes.

I have. During the four show NYC run last June.

[Andy]

I just realized that I've seen Certain Songs more times than Killer Parties. I'm okay with this.

[doctoracula]

May 7, 2010 1:34:53 GMT -5 Camie said:

I remember when they played Curves and Nerves at Festival Pier in Philadelphia and almost dying.

goddammit i should've gone to that show
i was talking to someone about that fest the other day

[Camie]

You did talk about that show to me for like 30 seconds.... and then I am almost certain you talked about that show to someone else as well.

[doctoracula]

then over the weekend i saw some friends of mine that played that show. they told me about watching devo and THS from backstage. that fest has been haunting me for days

[mcstevepants]

I'd kill a man to hear 'knuckles'.