The Hold Steady @ U.S. Cellular Connection Stage, Summerfest

With their forceful classic-rock riffage and affablestage presence, The Hold Steady has deservedly earned the title “world’sgreatest bar band.” They're exactly the type of group that inspires you to lifta beer in appreciation and buy a round for the guys after the set. And don’tthose same qualities make them Summerfest’s greatest band, too? Nothing'sbetter than listening to loud music and drinking among friends during anevening along Lake Michigan at the Big Gig.What’s more, Craig Finn’s loose demeanor and the rest of the group's visceralsound make it seem as if they're playing a dive bar even when they’re, in fact,jamming at a crowded outdoor festival.

They kicked off their first Summerfest performancewith a heavy rendition of the Stay Positive opening track"Constructive Summer." Any doubts that this show wouldn't amp up thevolume (after disappointing levels at the U.S. Cellular stage earlier in theweek) were quelled immediately. Finn sang lyrics with a devil-may-careattitude, ostensibly infatuated with his own one-liners yet in a way thatseemed endearing rather than conceited. "Tonight's one of the nights whereI feel like the luckiest guy in the world," Finn proclaimed in betweensongs, and believing him was easy. With Finn dancing around the stage andplayfully inciting the guitarists into solo challenges, all signs pointed tothis being one of the best nights of his life.

While The Hold Steady's latest record, Heaven IsWhenever, has been the mostdivisive album among fans, the group sold the few songs they played livemostnotably, the lead track "The Sweet Part of the City," which yieldedcrowd praise after the repeating line, "We were bored so we started aband/We'd like to play for you." Although the night couldn't help butsound like a greatest-hits tour for the Midwestern natives, "Stuck BetweenStations," "Stay Positive," "You Can Make Him LikeYou" and "Chips Ahoy!" all reverberated like classic-rockanthems from a relevant classic rock band. When's the last timeSummerfest had one of those?