The Hold Steady, Koko

The Hold Steady are bringing the sound of mid-America direct to Camden in October with a truckload of guitars, drums, vocals that have been drowned, fried, and battered in beer and sawdust. 
Establishing themselves with a rapid succession of albums (four in five years) from 2004, they became lodestars of bar-based Americana with their heavy sound and frontman Craig Finn's inimitable lyrical storytelling. Charting characters like Gideon and Holly through their triumphs and disasters, his words had that unique ability to capture a moment in aspic. 
2010's Heaven is Whenever was a slight backward step, but with this year's Teeth Dreams, they're back fighting: the album is full of big chords, powerful drums and verbal acrobatics. Opening track 'I Hope This Whole Thing Didn't Frighten You' is a trademark feedbacked guitar riff leading into smashed out chords and drums as Finn sings 'I heard the Cityscape Skins are kinda kicking it again' and you sense their world is back to where it was - amidst the bar stools and hard liquor that made them great. 
Tickets for the Hold Steady at Koko in October are now sold-out.