An oral history (with photographs) of the greatest American bar band
of the twenty-first century
"A colorful montage of stories about and photographs of American rock
band The Hold Steady, by both members of the group as well as dedicated
fans . . . A must-have for admirers of the band and a good choice to
fans of bar rock."
--Kirkus Reviews
"Plenty of rock bands treat their fans like congregants. But not many
shine a light on the arrangement. Fewer still go as far as The Hold
Steady, whose lead vocalist and lyricist, Craig Finn, has a disarming
way of combining humility and exultation."
--New York Times
On January 22, 2003, four men stepped onto a stage in Brooklyn and did
something no one else was doing at that time, in that place. They played
rock 'n' roll: old-fashioned rock 'n' roll with skyscraping riffs and
sloppy solos, topped with extraordinary lyrics about an out-of-focus
America, blurred by pills and powders, of crime and fear and desperation
and redemption.
Twenty years later, The Hold Steady are one of America's most beloved
rock bands, famed for live shows that turn unbelievers into converts,
and for a catalog filled with some of the most exciting yet poetic music
of the twenty-first century. To mark those twenty years, The Hold Steady
tell their full story in The Gospel of The Hold Steady: How a
Resurrection Really Feels.
An oral history, based on interviews with everyone who has played in the
band, and those who have worked with them over the course of their
career, The Gospel of the Hold Steady addresses all the triumphs and
setbacks of The Hold Steady's career in the band's own words--from high
times to near deaths, from the brink of splitting to their current
renaissance. The volume also includes over 200 photographs and images.
The Gospel of The Hold Steady is completed by essays about America's
greatest bar band by writers Rob Sheffield, Laura Barton, Isaac
Fitzgerald, and Michael Hann, as well as the thoughts and memories of
"The Unified Scene"--the fans who have helped define the band's identity
over the years. This is a book for everyone who loves The Hold Steady,
and anyone who understands that the magic of rock 'n' roll happens on a
stage in a small room, with voices raised from the crowd.
