The Hold Steady came on to the main stage at the Ritz Ybor with a purpose. The band hasnāt been to Ybor City in a while and it was time for them to reclaim their throne as āAmericaās Best Bar Band.ā Opening Ā with āPositive Jamā, Craig Finn brought the crowd back to the bandās beginnings. āPositive Jamā is the first song on the bandās first albumAlmost Killed Me, the lyrics summing up modern American history and leaving off in the digital age.
The band seamlessly transitioned into āStuck Between Stationsā fromĀ Boys and Girls in America.
āIām not old, Iām old schoolā Craig Finn proclaimed before taking a drink from his Budweiser can and playing āCattle and the Creeping Thingsā from the bandās acclaimed sophomore album,Ā Separation Sunday.