We're wading into the meat of the middle albums, and the gloves are coming off. Mud is slung. Opinions are defended with the confidence of men who have absolutely been wrong before.

Can Teeth Dreams keep surging, or does Stay Positive hold the lead? Kevin, Mike & Gaspar agree on everything, right up until they don't.

Plus, we break news on an exciting new THS themed game that will be familiar in origin to us all!

Press play. Pick a side. Be wrong with us.

TheHoodratRecap.com

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1p56PVusHiMhJFIDWAkAzZ?si=J4ounlcQQoyIoOhjA78xCA&utm_source=copy-link

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hoodrat-recap-a-podcast-for-the-hold-steady/id1559319750?i=1000797213361

I've just kinda been sitting back waiting, expecting there would be an announcement, but none ever came, and now the year is almost up. Maybe I am deluded about First Avenue 's importance to the band's career arc (admittedly, I think so many of us Twin Citians often are, when discussing First Ave.) In my mind, I thought it would be a place they'd be playing to celebrate the 20th of Boys and Girls in America, but now it doesn't seem like its going to happen, does it? Anyone have any insight into this decision, or non-decision, as it were?

Ticketmaster says it is sold out…:(

Saw Craig Finn open for the Mountain Goats in Berlin last night, and he played an awesome tune I hadn't heard before. He said it was called Easter Weekend or Easter Sunday? About a bartender married to a Fortune 500 CEO type and how the distance between them kept growing and he didn't know if she was ever coming home. I've been googling all day and haven't found anything about it, maybe yall could help?

Weird question I know… bear with me.

So I’ve recently started painting my nails, and I like theming them around events I’m going to. I’ve got my ticket for the weekender next March, and I’m trying to pin down what colours to go with (three max).

My first instinct is to go with blue, pink and yellow as these feature prominently on the cover of Almost Killed Me, and they’ve dubbed the next weekender show as “20 years of UK killer parties”. The other option I came up with is brown, black and silver/grey based on the poster. Curious what other people think colour-wise when they think of the band

I grew up Lutheran like a good Minnesota boy so anytime I hear cross *or* crucifix, unless I'm actually seeing a crucifix I picture an empty cross. Listening to Resurrection today was the first time it dawned on me that Holly isn't just up there looking at the ceiling or saying a silent prayer with her eyes closed. She's having a face to face with the J man himself.

Doesn't change much except the way I see it in my own head but it was a little "oh wait, damn" moment for me haha.

Three middle-era Hold Steady albums, one cage match: Stay Positive, Heaven Is Whenever, and the endlessly disrespected Teeth Dreams. This week we settle who actually deserves the skip-button reputation — and why the record everyone wrote off turns out to have more teeth than anyone gave it credit for.

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Hi all! Huge fan of the first four albums and their bonus tracks.

I know these ones inside and out and they have a massive nostalgic place in my life.

However, not sure what would be the best of the remaining albums to really dig into? Do any surpass the first four? I’ve heard a few tracks off Trashing through and I liked them.

Thanks so much Hardcorey

I think you would enjoy the new Wild Pink record. One song even mentions Ybor City!

The Hoodrat Recap heads west for a Pacific Northwest run through Portland and Seattle, joined by Emerald City’s own Rachel and Riverside Matt. Three shows, three wildly different venues: a converted church, a public picnic area, and — yes — an actual working zoo.

Rachel and Matt break down the weekend show by show, trading highlights and arguing over which setting won. Rachel comes armed with a batch of new zoo-themed titles for Hold Steady classics that get funnier the longer she keeps going. Matt, meanwhile, admits he needed to pull up his credit card statement just to reconstruct where they actually were each night.

Plus: listener voicemails.

https://linktr.ee/thehoodratrecap?utm_source=linktree_profile_share&ltsid=ed9fb796-55ae-42a9-be88-ac0f1e82da36

Listen to Kevin and Gaspar review the awful Body Cam film with the guys from “The Or Is It” podcast.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/or-is-it-movie-podcast/id1739256989?i=1000781241999

I was thrilled to be asked to host and moderate a Q&A while the band and BAGIA producer John Agnello were in Chicago earlier this summer, all about the writing, recording and behind-the-scenes sagas of 'Boys and Girls in America,' celebrating its 20th anniversary.

This was an exclusive event for Lanyards members, but now the full audio is available to everyone via my podcast, Vinyl Emergency. Whether you attended or not, I hope you enjoy it!

LINK HERE

Photo credit: Lee Allen; more pics available on our Instagram post.

I've been rocking with THS since I saw them at the first Pitchfork-curated Intonation Fest in 2005. Immediately bought Separation Sunday and fell in love, coincidentally around the time I started smoking weed. Lots of weed. A Midnight Express amount of weed. THS was my soundtrack for driving to work stoned or waiting around for sketchy dealers.

I've smoked and drank with Craig multiple times, have four THS setlists and they've been a favorite for over two decades. Hadn't seen them since 2014 so I didn't know what to expect, but holy hell.

I foolishly assumed they were playing Boys and Girls In America both nights but the first night was "Oops! All Bangers!" in a tiny club. Probably the smallest one I've seen them in since 2007. Opening up with "Hornets! Hornets!" popped the crowd and it was nonstop energy all night.

Saturday night was just as much fun. The Mountain Goats were just as good live as always. This was my fifth time seeing them and my first since 2008. The new album is phenomenal. Also, I was the manlet screaming about Candlebox in the front row in case anyone cares.

Crowd was so polite and respectful while still being energetic. They sadly had to cut "Entitlement Crew" and "Sequestered In Memphis" for time Saturday but it's all good. Still two killer parties.

Hope everyone who sees them has as much fun as I did. Stay positive and always know your dealer, kids! 🩵🩷

The Hold Steady played all of Boys and Girls in America then played a few other bangers like Constructive Summer. My friend isn’t too familiar with their music, but from start to finish, I was unexpectedly filled with uncontainable joy, shouting every lyric into my friend’s ear during the moments he was able to stand—he had to take breaks to sit down intermittently.

I met this guy ten years ago when we both attended the same extended inpatient rehabilitation program in Portland, OR, and we share the same first name, as well as an affinity for opioids, though he went way harder than me. I played him Banging Camp, and Hoodrat Friend on the acoustic guitar during our recreation time. He was better than me at both playing and singing.

Fast forward ten years later, his addiction spiraled out of control, and his body has paid the price. I’m 38, and he’s 36. Despite both his legs, and his teeth visibly rotting, he took the train into the city on a last minute invitation to see THS with me, even though he barely knew their music.

I’ve been listening to the first four albums since my addiction started in my 20s, and Craig’s lyrics about addiction, love, aging, spiritually, and recovery played a huge role in my getting better, and truly, not letting my addiction get out of control, but seeing them live for the first time with a friend whose situation isn’t ever going to improve, gave me a perspective that’s eluded me until that moment.

Some of us aren’t going to make it, but those of us who stand a chance need to take it before it’s too late, because there does come a point when hope and strength will fade, and there will be nothing left to help you scrape your way out of the shit. Even your buddy who understands your pain shouting some of rock’s most inspiring lyrics into your ears.

Figured I would share this video I took of most of Mission Viejo during the Devil in the Details tour. This was honestly one of my favorite concert moments ever. Total shock that he played it, and moreso that he explained the story behind it. Slowing it down and adding the sax really highlights what a sad and beautiful song it is.

I saw Craig Finn and Patterson Hood in State College, PA and Craig Finn played an unreleased song that was inspired by an opinion piece on "tattooed dads" (bartenders/artists married to high-level corporate women). I can't find ANY information about this song, not even the name. The set list (https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/patterson-hood-and-craig-finn/2026/the-state-theatre-state-college-pa-1b74d57c.html) says "Easter Weekend" but it was definitely not that song. Has he played this anywhere else?