Images: The Hold Steady, Cheap Girls August 2, 2014 at Vinyl Las Vegas

The Hard Rock Hotel hosted an interesting mix of genres on Aug. 2, with DMX, Biz Markie and more headlining a stacked hip hop show at the Joint, and indie rockers The Hold Steady and Cheap Girls playing a more intimate show right down the hall at Vinyl. While our tweets for a Biz guest appearance at the Hold Steady show went unanswered, we definitely got more than our fill of awesome.

Brooklyn’s The Hold Steady haven’t brought their Springsteen meets Replacements brand of alt rock to Vegas since a somewhat lackluster turnout at the House of Blues in 2010 seemed to scare them away. Remembering the heyday of Vegas Hold Steady shows (in particular, their 2007 free show at Beauty Bar where there were free ribs and an open bar), I was happy to see that their return to Vegas would take place at the more intimate Vinyl. For a band that thrives so much on crowd interaction, it’s just not the same seeing energetic frontman Craig Finn on a big stage. At first glance, Finn might not seem like the dynamic performer that he is. Dressed in a black button up, jeans and his trademark glasses, he doesn’t stand out much from the similarly attired crowd, but he comes alive onstage, wildly gesticulating in spastic, contagious bursts of glee that practically dare audience members not to smile while singing along.

Things kicked off with spirited Stay Positive opener “Constructive Summer,” a track I think should be in contention for “best album openers of all time” (only slightly below Boys and Girls in America opener “Stuck Between Stations”). People raised their “reasonably” priced drinks in a toast to Saint Joe Strummer and I love the subtle nod to Minneapolis punk rockers Dillinger Four in the song. It was great hearing new tracks from this year’s excellent Teeth Dreams live for the first time, with TD opener “I Hope This Whole Thing Didn’t Frighten You” and five minute epic “The Ambassador” already sounding at home stacked up against old favorites “You Can Make Him Like You” and “Your Little Hoodrat Friend,” with the latter’s line “Damn right, she’ll rise again” sung back so loud that I’m sure even DMX next door must have heard it. I was surprised to hear Boys and Girls in America b-side “Girls Like Status” make its way into the set, and the crowd proved to be true, diehard Hold Steady fans by singing along with fists raised high during what I thought of as a lesser known THS track.

One of the biggest hurdles The Hold Steady has had to overcome is the departure of pianist Franz Nicolay in 2010. His distinct backing vocals and even more distinct playing style really helped to define the band through three of their biggest albums. They were sans-piano this night, which did lead to a few awkward moments – the bridge in “Stuck Between Stations” – undeniably my favorite Hold Steady track and a contender for my favorite song of all time – is a bit too hollow without those keys – but for the most part, the band compensates well for the loss with multiple guitar goodness. The band knows how to shred so focusing on that aspect of their sound is a better option than trying to find another Franz. For the most part, I think the extra guitar keeps the full sound the band is going for, and it’s what makes Teeth Dreams stand above Heaven is Whenever, an album that I enjoyed, but felt was a bit directionless.

The most memorable moment of the night took place about ¾ of the way through when a circuit blew, causing all of the stage lights to die. The band didn’t miss a beat, with the audience lighting the way with their cell phones, recalling one of the most memorable scenes from Grave of the Fireflies (or more recently, Guardians of the Galaxy). Crowd participation was at another high during “Stay Positive.” While the song is stylistically closer to classic rock – guitar solos and all – lyrically, it’s a tribute to the hardcore scene that Finn grew up in, with specific nods given to Youth of Today and 7 Seconds. During the song, Finn adopts a pose not unlike the frontmen of those great hardcore bands, crouched down against the edge of the stage, mic pushed into the crowd for a gang vocal approach to the song’s “whoa ohs,” the fans pressing up front, more than willing to supply that part of the song.

Opening the show was Lansing, Michigan’s Cheap Girls, a band whose records are on constant repeat at Punks in Vegas HQ, so we were stoked to see them finally making their Vegas debut on this tour. While I wish the venue was a bit fuller during their set, it was really great seeing some earlybird Hold Steady fans tapping their toes, with smiles on their faces while Cheap Girls played through a set that mixed classics like “Hey Hey I’m Worn Out” and “Kind of on Purpose” with tracks like “Amazing Grace” and “Pure Hate” from their latest Famous Graves. Vocalist Ian Graham sounds fantastic live, his coon sounding practically Josh Caterer (Smoking Popes) esq on  ballad “Sunnyside.”

Cheap Girls have a lot in common with Hold Steady – narrative lyrics with a rock base – so it’s not surprising that Hold Steady fans were so receptive. The band also has a strong 90s alt rock vibe, almost a Gin Blossoms-meets-Replacements feel, and after their set, we saw more than a few audience members pulling the band’s info up on their smart phones, eager to learn more. We filmed a Stripped Down Session with Cheap Girls just before they took the stage – so be on the lookout for that in the coming days. Hopefully they make Vegas a more permanent fixture on future tours.

-Emily Matview | https://www.flickr.com/photos/holdfastnow/

Hold Steady setlist:

Constructive Summer
Hot Soft Light
I Hope This Whole Thing Didn’t Frighten You
Girls Like Status
Hurricane J
Sequestered in Memphis
Hornets! Hornets!
You Can Make Him Like You
On With The Business
Spinners
The Ambassador
The Weekenders
Chips Ahoy!
Your Little Hoodrat Friend
Stay Positive
Southtown Girls

Encore:
Oaks
Stuck Between Stations
Slapped Actress