Art Brut / The Hold Steady - Chicago, IL

It was Halloween day in Chicago. I wasn't sure what to expect being in the city on this day, but it had to be more interesting than what goes on in the suburbs. Or so I thought. Honestly, Clark Street, where I was, was about as casual and dull as any I'd ever lived on in the suburbs. Aside from the few people that dressed up to attend the show that evening, there wasn't much to differentiate the day from any other at the Metro.

And, after racing into the city in time to interview one of the bands on the bill that night, Art Brut, only to end up waiting for the band's singer Eddie Argos to return from a late lunch, it was a relief that the city didn't get too crazy. Waiting for Argos wasn't any sort of hardship, and I had time to relax, gather my thoughts and watch as various Hold Steady members came and went from the backstage area. There was also the interview I had scheduled with Greg Bertens from the band Film School later on to consider (the California band were playing Schubas that night).

It was a rather lackluster interview with Argos and guitarist Jasper Future, due to both being a bit hungover from the night before (Argos blamed the copious amounts of Jagermeister he consumed and could not remember the DJ gig he did at Smart Bar after the previous night's show he was so wasted) and filled up from lunch. At one point Argos began seriously considering resting his head in Future's lap to take a little snooze, though it should be mentioned that Jasper wasn't very keen on that idea.

Later on, when I ran into Argos and his girlfriend Dyan (from the band The Blood Arm) coming out of the Metro store dressed up for the evening, he apologized for how the interview went. Argos appeared to really be upset by it and I did my best to reassure him that it was quite alright in the end. I think that he likes to be a little bit wittier during interviews and his earlier state didn't lend much to these desires.

Anyways, after waiting on a friend who I was supposed to grab a drink with between 9 and 10 that evening and who ended up not showing due to waiting extraordinarily long for a bus, I decided to make my way into the venue. Once inside I was struck by the power of the music of Federale who were nearing the end of their set. The band play a brand of 70s rock and roll that is a throwback to the likes of Thin Lizzy in patches. Very strong, forceful rock. Dug the costumes, too. The entire band were in orange prison jumpsuits. The bassist had his unzipped down to the navel, seemingly enthralled with his large frame that probably was won by drinking a lot of beer and eating a lot of pizza. You go fellow big guy!

After making my acquaintance with a photographer with the same first name as me (and whose work you can see displayed here), it was time for Art Brut.

There was the drummer, Mikey B, in some sort of Blades of Glory-style ice skating one piece; Ian Catskilkin in a skeleton costume, his face painted up and looking bad ass; the band's whipping boy Jasper Future in a fabulous Roman soldier get up and Argos in an Elvis Presley-like white jumper with the shades to match (bassist Freddy Feedback looked hot in her regular stage clothes).

Argos was strutting and preening (though coming off a bit awkwardly, part of his charm), barely audible over the band's energetic blasts. This was a party and if it meant that Eddie wouldn't be heard, so be it. After all, who cares about that sort of thing when the lead singer is in the middle of the crowd inciting everyone to pogo?

Though Art Brut's set wasn't much different from the first one I had witnessed a little less than two months prior at the Hideout Block Party, the level of excitement was. This was the part of the night that made being in the city during Halloween special. The place was packed and everyone, every last one of the attendees wanted to have fun and it showed and they did.

As for The Hold Steady, if you know me at all you know that I have said nothing but hateful, nasty things about them in the past. I thought their set at Lollapalooza this summer was intolerable. I found their musical proximity to Bruce Springsteen to be irritating. Worst of all I could not stand Craig Finn's voice. And it bothered me that Argos was so eager to be on this tour and that he thought so highly of a band I thought to be utter crap.

But surely if I liked Art Brut and they like The Hold Steady there had to be something there, right?

The cynical reader would have guessed my answer to be "no", but I truly was turned around this particular evening. The Hold Steady, in a small environment where the fans know every single word to every single song and the vibe is just that goddamn right, are a wonder to behold. "Southtown Girls," "Your Little Hoodrat Friend" and "Girls Like Status" hit me like a bucket of cold water, waking me up and shaking me free of my clenched-teeth hatred of them. I am now going back and re-listening to their albums and waiting for them to play Chicago again. And I have Eddie Argos to thank for it.

At the after party where Argos and Future's old band The Art Goblins were supposed to play (it turns out that getting a PA system into the Metro's balcony is something of a problem - so the band ended up DJ'ing with their iPods), I pulled Argos aside and thanked him for being the reason I stayed and saw The Hold Steady perform. He was very taken with my admission of coming round to them. We shook hands at least a dozen different times as I made my way to leave. Meeting, speaking with and hanging out with two people as talented, smart and passionate about music as Eddie Argos and Jasper Future has been one of the highlights of my year. I can't thank them enough for helping put me back on the path to keeping an open mind about music I may not understand in the moment, but perhaps will in the future.