On stage with the Hold Steady, Craig Finn is hyper-animated: Eyes bugging out of his head, arms flailing about, miming the lyrics to his songs immediately after saying them. But when Finn came through Corktown’s Lager House on Wednesday as a solo act, backed by his band whom he’s dubbed Some Guns, he was much more subdued: If Finn’s crazed bar preacher act with the Hold Steady is him on 10, Wednesday he was somewhere around a 4.
Performing songs from his recently released solo album “Clear Heart, Full Eyes,” along with a handful of songs he may or may not have made up on his way to the venue (“this one’s called ‘Dudes from St. Paul,’” he said, introducing a song apparently titled “Dudes From St. Paul”), Finn was loose and relaxed, telling stories and ordering whiskeys from the crowd (“I’ll pay you back after the show, I promise”) during the 90-minute show. The Lager House, a seemingly offbeat venue for the show, was a perfect room; it felt like you were seeing Finn play a packed show at the Blowout.
Finn said early on if the show did what it was supposed to do, it would “bum you out.” The downbeat songs told stories of loneliness and soul-searching, but were told with enough wry humor that it was never depressing. He dismissed his four-piece outfit at one point and played a pair of songs on his own, holding the crowd at a hush. When his band came back the energy picked up, but never reached the debauchery of a drunken, messy Hold Steady show. The Hold Steady is all about release, while Finn’s solo material is more thoughtful and reflective. If killer parties almost killed him, Finn’s solo exercise is a chance to step back and contemplate how he got to the party in the first place.
Craig Finn set list (2/8/12, PJ’s Lager House)
- Apollo Bay
- Balcony
- Jackson
- No Future
- When No One’s Watching
- Some Guns
- Western Pier
- New Friend Jesus
- Sarah, I’m Surrounded
- Jeremiah’s Blues
- Dudes from St. Paul
- Going to a Show
- Honolulu Blues
- Rented Room
- Once You Rollover
- Terrified Eyes
- Not Much Left for Us
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