The Hold Steady road test new songs in LA

True to frontman Craig Finn’s word, The Hold Steady are adding more new songs to their set lists as the NME Rock and Roll Riot Tour storms its way across the US.

Last night’s 80-minute set at the Music Box at the Henry Fonda Theatre saw the headliners playing three unreleased tunes including including ‘Ask Her For Some Adderall’ for an appreciative LA crowd.

As previously reported, Finn has indicated the band’s follow-up to ‘Boys and Girls in America’ is already taking shape.

The spiky ‘Adderall’ harks back to the band’s frenetic earlier records, while the somber ‘Lord, I’m Discouraged’ will delight fans who see The Hold Steady as heirs to their classic-rock forebears .

‘Joke About Jamaica’, meanwhile, suggests Finn has been paying close attention to his tourmates Art Brut, whose lyrics often explore man’s complex relationship with his record collection.

Last night, Art Brut frontman Eddie Argos’ primary aim was to urge concertgoers to go out and form bands of their own.

“What we need, what the world needs, is more records,” Argos told the crowd. “Each and every one of you has to start a band and release records. I’ve said this before, but it’s time for direct action!”

Argos then grouped audience members into three- or four-person clusters and encouraged them to form bands before lumping everyone together into a giant group and telling them to form a “Los Angeles Polyphonic Spree.”

The NME Rock ‘N’ Roll Riot Tour USA continues tonight at Cane’s in San Diego and makes its way throughout the southwest before wrapping up May 21 at Terminal 5 in New York.

The Hold Steady played:

‘Party Pit’
‘Stuck Between Stations’
‘Chips Ahoy!’
‘Hot Soft Lights’
‘Ask Her For Some Adderall’
‘Barfruit Blues’
‘Massive Nights’
‘Joke About Jamaica’
‘The Swish’
‘Banging Camp’
‘Lord, I’m Discouraged’
‘You Can Make Him Like You’
‘Your Little Hoodrat Friend’
‘Southtown Girls’
Positive Jam’/‘Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night’/‘Killer Parties’

Art Brut played:

‘Pump Up the Volume’
‘Bang Bang Rock and Roll’
‘Blame It On the Trains’
‘Bad Weekend’
’18,000 Lira’
‘St. Pauli’
‘Modern Art’
‘Moving to L.A.’
‘My Little Brother’
‘Post Soothing Out’
‘Emily Kane’
‘Nag Nag Nag Nag’
‘Direct Hit’
‘Good Weekend’/’Formed a Band’

--By our Los Angeles staff.
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