
Taking the stage around 10pm and playing a 90 minute tour de force set, The Hold Steady were delighted and grateful to host such a party. The band has become the road dogs of rock and roll this year, with a non stop touring schedule that has taken them back and forth to Europe, opening for The Counting Crows, Dave Matthews Band and many festival slots like Hyde Park Calling, Mountain Jam and Rothbury. Yet last night, non of that seemed to matter because they wanted to please New York and kick things off right. It didn't matter that they have been on tour all year and will not let up till the fall, they didn't look exhausted, they didn't look like they had any signs of stopping. The only thing they looked like was that they were having the time of their lives and so was the crowd. I think I must have lost a few pounds after jumping around and sweating my ass off so much in the front pit, as my body aches today it is just a reminder of how much fun this band is.