A Real to Reel interview: The Hold Steady
Baseball, music, the Weiner Circle and the honest Hold Steady

By Dan Ochwat

If you’ve ever seen The Hold Steady live, you surely have picked up on lead singer Craig Finn’s appreciation for baseball. The Brooklynite by way of Minneapolis will subtlely egg on White Sox fans, seek out Twins fans, maybe kid a Cubs fan, and then transition right into the music. I had to talk to him about baseball.

But not to forget about the music, listening to The Hold Steady is like riding shotgun on a cross-country roadtrip while Finn barks out engrossing stories. And in the backseat is one of the tightest rock bands around. And live — it’s even better: Despite being a balcony away, you feel like you’re sharing a pitcher with the band — though drink quick.

On the verge of launching their third record on Oct. 3, entitled “Boys and Girls in America,” and preparing to head out on their biggest tour yet, there’s a feeling The Hold Steady are finally getting their due. For one, they’ve upgraded to the Metro, playing there on Oct. 26. And on the heels of last year’s classic, “Separation Sunday,” The Hold Steady have built solid anticipation for the new album. I spoke with Finn about the record, his trips to Chicago, and mainly White Sox/Twins baseball. Forgive me.



Q: The two times I’ve seen the band live, you’ve mentioned the White Sox, of which I’m a die-hard fan. I take it you’re a baseball fan.

A: I’m a huge Twins fan, and you know what, I like the White Sox. I have no hatred toward the White Sox. I love Ozzie Guillen, and actually I said something at Lollapalooza that a lot of people interpreted wrong. The fact is, I love A.J. Pierzynski.



Q: I heard that jibe and was going to ask about that.

A: No, no. I said, ‘This goes out to A.J.,’ and people thought I was making a snide comment. Not only is he an awesome player, but also our trade to San Francisco got us Joe Nathan, Francisco Liriano and this new guy (Boof) Bonser. So we should give A.J. a parade.



Q: Do you ever get to see games on the road?

A: It was my birthday the other day, and I went down to Baltimore to see the Twins play at Camden Yards. It was awesome. But not so much on the road. I’ve done that a couple times. Things really need to have to line up perfectly to catch a game. I have a couple different lines on Yankees tickets, as much as I hate the Yankees. Worst team in any sport.



Q: Being a Twins fan out in New York — is that like walking around invisible?

A: Yeah, being a Twins fan is the opposite of being a Yankees fan. They have players that (equal) our entire payroll.



Q: I’d be shocked if anyone in New York could even name a Twins infielder.

A: Oh yeah, no one. Dude, there’s this new guy, Pat Neshek, he has a blog. He’s from Minneapolis and has this weird sidearm delivery. He hasn’t pitched much, but his ERA is like .083 as a middle reliever, (and) he’s totally into Metal. I think he’s going to be awesome. Well, I want him to be.



Q: I don’t. Actually, we kind of have a sad rivalry.

A: No, it’s not all that heated. I still think the White Sox are the most talented team in baseball; they just aren’t playing that well. The pitching has been subpar.



Q: How did you get into baseball?

A: I was from Boston, raised to be a Red Sox fan, but my parents moved to Minneapolis when I was in grade school. I was into baseball cards especially, and then went to games with my dad a couple times a year. Then, 1987, World Series champs, and that was the most exciting fall ever. I had just got my driver’s license. I remember the parade. Kent Hrbeck is my favorite player. Then I was in college at Boston College when they won in 1991.



Q: Have you ever played at the Metrodome, play the anthem at the game?

A: No, I’d love to do that. They do play our music in between innings on the radio broadcast. The guy knows I’m a huge Twins fan.



Q: Is the rest of the band into baseball?

A: Galen (Polivka), our bass player, is really into baseball, more so than I am. He’s a stat guy. He’s a Brewers fan, but knows as much about the Twins as I do. Franz (Nicolay), our piano player, is a Red Sox fan. It never gets heated, because we don’t go against each other, but the Brewers are never a worry, are they (evil laugh)?



Q: Speaking of Franz, how many black suits does he own?

A: Not as many as you’d think. He has a couple on tour, and that’s not just on stage. He tends to wear that every day.



Q: I better ask about the band.

A: I want to tell one more baseball story. For my birthday, my friend gave me a Hosken Powell jersey, who was a Twin in 1979, and it was a jersey he actually wore during games. It’s the best gift ever, but it’s the powder blue ones.

Q: Those are awesome. Is it the v-neck?

A: Yeah, but I put it on, and I don’t know how they played baseball in those things. It heated my body temperature up to 140. It’s so hot.



Q: I think I’d have to go with a Hrbek jersey.

A: He’s my favorite player. He has a hunting and fishing show on in Minneapolis. I totally want to be on it, but it would have to be fishing, because I’ve never shot a gun. If we had a Dick Cheney incident, and I shot Kent Hrbeck, it’d be bad. He could take a bullet too. He’s a big guy.



Q: OK, music questions. So, you’re making a move over to Vagrant Records. Everyone seems to make a big deal about bands signing with new labels. Your thoughts: Does it mean anything?

A: It doesn’t. Vagrant, first and foremost, were the people I was most comfortable with; and second, it’s a culture of success over there. I looked at a lot of other indie labels. I would look at the other options and say, ‘What the hell is this record? It just kind of trickled out and no one knew about it.’ With Vagrant, they don’t put out many records, and when they do, they make sure they work. And as far as relating to the rest of the roster, Vagrant isn’t saying, ‘Oh, we’ll market them just like we do Dashboard (Confessional).’

Quite honestly, no one makes a big deal that Modest Mouse and Beyonce are on the same label, but indie people are so wrapped up in the roster. But it’s not a concern. You’re only really going to read that on message boards, and those are the people who statistically matter the least. No one’s asking them for their opinion, so they have to offer it up on a message board.



Q: I read the new record is not a concept album, which the last record was.

A: It all goes back to boys and girls, and each song might be a little more self-contained rather than characters carrying over in between songs.

Q: Are we still going to get some priceless Catholic commentary?

A: There’s not as much Catholic stuff on there, but there is some. It’s part of who I am and what I do, so there’s always going to be some.



Q: Have you played Metro before?

A: I’ve never played. It’s a great room. I’ve seen shows there, and Metro is one of the best rooms in the country and people know that, so it should be great.



Q: I love watching you in concert because there’s a lot of interaction and drinking. It’s a party.

A: We try to have a good time. The idea is if we’re having a good time, it’s easier for the audience to have a good time.



Q: How do your bodies take it night after night?

A: By the end of the tour, you’re pretty tired. ... I drink a lot on stage, but I don’t drink much until I get on stage. You’re performing and it’s part of the show, but you’re like, ‘I have to do this tomorrow too.’ One thing I’ve found is if I get too drunk, I’ll start yelling too much and blow out my voice.



Q: Is that why you do that silent yell to the crowd off the mic?

A: No, I do that because it keeps me 100 percent focused on what I’m saying. I’m actually yelling off the mic. You couldn’t tell over the music though.



Q: Do you guys go out when visiting Chicago?

A: We went to some dive bar downtown after Lollapalooza. It was awesome. When I lived in Minneapolis, I spent a fair amount of time in Chicago. We’d go to the Empty Bottle. I love seeing shows there. I always have lunch with my friend at Earwax Cafe. Last time after Intonation, we had a good time at the Hideout. There’s some hot dog place that I want to go to, where they say the employees are totally insane.



Q: The Wiener Circle.

A: Yeah, that’s where I want to go this time.



Q: Last Question: Your voice is probably the hardest thing to describe. How would you describe it?

A: That’s a good question. Sexy? It’s funny, my voice is certainly nasal and low in register, but the one thing I would say is people love it or hate it. It’s me just talking louder. You know, there are a lot of singers, and one kind of singing I hate is when someone is just imitating a voice. One thing I can say is my voice is honest. I’m thinking of Dave Matthews. Do you watch him sing? That’s not how he sings. He’s imitating something. John Mayer does it too. They’re imitating something, (and) I’m not sure what it is.



Q: It’s funny you say ‘honest.’ I would think that’s more important than anything regarding your music and lyrics and the band.

A: That’s exactly it. That’s sort of the concept.

Keep sending me your music or anything else on your mind at danochwat@hotmail.com. I’ve also joined the MySpace army, so give The Real Chicago some love at http://www1.myspace.com/danochwat

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