The Hold Steady took its summer three-city mini-residency, coined “Constructive Summer 2024,” to Washington, D.C. this past weekend, playing The Atlantis for one night and then the next two nights at 9:30 Club. THS are no strangers to D.C. or the 9:30 Club, but, as lead singer Craig Finn said from the stage, these were the first shows the band has played in the Nation’s Capitol in 10 years. 10 years aside, it was like no time had passed, for the band or the audience. I began photographing THS in 2009, and what was always the coolest thing was how the band and the audience locked into each other from the jump. All these years later, their audience may be a little older, and the band may not tour as much as they used to, but that connection hasn’t changed. Sing along songs, rabid hand-clapping, and confetti are still a staple at THS shows (the latter in spite of posted signs for a confetti-free environment).
And, true to THS form, people were still touching people they didn’t even know as their song “Hornets! Hornets!” goes, be it the band to those who were seeing the band for the first time, or audience members making friends to the person next to them. As Finn said, “Whether this is your first show or your 100th, we love you. Someone said to me recently in Seattle, I came to the show alone. But when I got there, I didn’t feel alone, I felt like I was there with all my friends. That’s probably the nicest thing anyone ever said about our band.” In this day and age when everything seems so divisive, it’s great to see THS still unifying people through music, knocking them sideways with the power and the glory of a super-tight band who comes to make their own noise and celebrate with those who appreciate it.
(See more photos from the show here.)
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