Holdin Steady - I Speak with Craig Finn
Monday, July 19, 2010 at 1:15PM 
Craig Finn - The Hold Steadyby Sean Taylor
;)
photo by Mike Bouchard
(more photos)
After raging through The Hold Steady's 90+ minute Ottawa Bluesfest set- I had to quickly dry off, change my sweaty clothers and get it together a bit to head backstage. Prior to the show I had been asked if I would like the unique and exciting opportunity to chat with Craig Finn on their tour bus. While this only lasted for a few fleeting minutes- I was able to see a bit of the inside of The Hold Steady life. The tables inside the bus were no different than anything you might see at your own place on Saturday night: empty beer cans, a random pack of smokes, some books and an acoustic sitting in the corner- not one sign of rock star excess, in fact as I stepped on it was myself, Craig Finn along with Galen and a roadie- not a true rock star amongst us.
craig finn, interviews, ottawa bluesfest, the hold steady in Interviews ;)
(May 10, 2010 on Vagrant Records), all of these feelings were conjured up; but with a new found trepidation. You see, HiW is the first Hold Steady album since Seperation Sunday without lauded multi-instrumentalist Franz Nicolay. Franz's recent departure meant that not only would his signature additions on keyboards be absent, but also a huge hole at the front of the stage would likely be hard to fill without the most raging 'non singer- front man' in history.