The Hold Steady may have formed and taken off in New York City, but many Hold Steady-lovin’ Minnesotans will tell you the band’s music is beloved in the Minneapolis scene and retains something intrinsically local. Frontman Craig Finn and lead guitarist Tad Kubler were a very active part of the MN scene from the mid-’90s until 2000 as part of Lifter Puller. Even after picking up and moving to the Big Apple, The Hold Steady has had a heartwarming way of remembering where they came from, and the mixed memory bag of things they wish they could repress and the times they never want to forget have shown up in their music. Early songs such as “Your Little Hoodrat Friend” and “Southtown Girls” actually name-drop Twin Cities landmarks, and their music remains littered with references to the sometimes desolate but hallowed Midwest.
