Craig Finn (Concert Quote)

Yeah. So I was like, well, if we just, like, drank beer on Tuesday nights and played, wouldn't that be, like, the most fun part of it? And then, you know, no pressure. But, of course, that wasn't going to work. So the second someone asked us to play a show, we're like, Okay, yeah, you know.

It's called Mr. Ass. Mr. Ass? Yeah. And they were doing this thing at Arlene Grocery, and they were like, do you want to do, like, bumper music? Like, get a band together. Do, like, bumper music. It'll be like, you know, when we're changing sets, you'll play, like, Back in Black. No singing. So I was like, Yeah, that sounds fun. That's something to do. So we go and do that.

It's called Mr. Ass. Mr. Ass? Yeah. And they were doing this thing at Arlene Grocery, and they were like, do you want to do, like, bumper music? Like, get a band together. Do, like, bumper music. It'll be like, you know, when we're changing sets, you'll play, like, Back in Black. No singing. So I was like, Yeah, that sounds fun. That's something to do. So we go and do that.

It's called Mr. Ass. Mr. Ass? Yeah. And they were doing this thing at Arlene Grocery, and they were like, do you want to do, like, bumper music? Like, get a band together. Do, like, bumper music. It'll be like, you know, when we're changing sets, you'll play, like, Back in Black. No singing. So I was like, Yeah, that sounds fun. That's something to do. So we go and do that.

And are they doing, like, improv sketching? Yeah, yeah. So they're doing improv. A scene ends, and then you guys will play, like, 30 seconds of back and forth. Yeah, and then they, like, you know. So we did that twice. And the second time, they were like, hey, do you guys have any songs? You could just warm up the crowd, play a song.

And are they doing, like, improv sketching? Yeah, yeah. So they're doing improv. A scene ends, and then you guys will play, like, 30 seconds of back and forth. Yeah, and then they, like, you know. So we did that twice. And the second time, they were like, hey, do you guys have any songs? You could just warm up the crowd, play a song.

And are they doing, like, improv sketching? Yeah, yeah. So they're doing improv. A scene ends, and then you guys will play, like, 30 seconds of back and forth. Yeah, and then they, like, you know. So we did that twice. And the second time, they were like, hey, do you guys have any songs? You could just warm up the crowd, play a song.

And I showed the guys Knuckles, which ends up being the first Hold Steady song we ever had.

And I showed the guys Knuckles, which ends up being the first Hold Steady song we ever had.

And I showed the guys Knuckles, which ends up being the first Hold Steady song we ever had.

I've been trying to get people to call me Freddy Knuckles. People keep calling me Ride Set Fred. And it's hard to keep trying when half your friends are dying. It's hard to hold it steady when half your friends are dead already.

I've been trying to get people to call me Freddy Knuckles. People keep calling me Ride Set Fred. And it's hard to keep trying when half your friends are dying. It's hard to hold it steady when half your friends are dead already.

I've been trying to get people to call me Freddy Knuckles. People keep calling me Ride Set Fred. And it's hard to keep trying when half your friends are dying. It's hard to hold it steady when half your friends are dead already.

And so we played that. And that was, I guess, the first Hold Steady show. But then after two of those, we were like, yeah, you know what was the most fun part about that is when we played our own song.

And so we played that. And that was, I guess, the first Hold Steady show. But then after two of those, we were like, yeah, you know what was the most fun part about that is when we played our own song.

And so we played that. And that was, I guess, the first Hold Steady show. But then after two of those, we were like, yeah, you know what was the most fun part about that is when we played our own song.

We just combined them and called it a record. But it was really started with demos. And it didn't feel as easy.

We just combined them and called it a record. But it was really started with demos. And it didn't feel as easy.

We just combined them and called it a record. But it was really started with demos. And it didn't feel as easy.

I think I knew that there was a power in keeping it light or something, you know, or keeping it, you know, if you take whatever the opposite of desperation is, I think people really react to that. And so we were kind of like, whatever, you know. I mean, that was always my thing about how the whole study was going to operate, at least at the beginning. It was like,