There's an argument to be had about whether rock and roll does in fact mean well, but there's no question
The Hold Steady and
Drive-By Truckers do.
And that's probably why two of the most critically acclaimed names in the current landscape of American rock joined forces on an aptly named tour, which packed
The Phoenix Concert Theatre wall-to-wall Tuesday night.
Some fans may have initially wondered how Brooklyn-based, Minneapolis-born lit rockers THS could co-headline an entire schedule with Southern sludge slingers DBT, but that obviously didn't stop them from gobbling up the modestly priced tickets.
CityNews.ca caught up with Truckers singer and songwriter
Patterson Hood (pictured, above) a few hours before show time. He said the groups' co-existence on the tour - the bands trade headline spots every other night - has formed the foundation for an almost idyllic road relationship.
"It's been even better than we both hoped it'd be," said Hood, who explained the idea for the fall tour emerged when he met Hold Steady guitarist Tad Kubler at a summer show in NYC's Battery Park and the pair quickly became email pen pals.
"We have a lot of common ground even though we do different things with that common ground," he says.
One similarity is that they both sell out shows all over, together and separately. Most fans would have happily paid Tuesday's $30 price to see either. Both? No-brainer.
That's just one reason the "Rock And Roll Means Well" tour is making good on its name, taken from a Drive-By lyric ("rock and roll means well, but can't help telling young boys lies") that Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn (pictured below, right) keeps especially near and dear.
"We were initially against it because we thought we should find a name that was more neutral," Hood said, hours before Finn was calling him, "a man much smarter than me," and dropping the line on stage.
"They were pushing heavy for it, they thought that should be the name of the tour."
So it is.
But what's in a name? More impressive is each band's commitment to achieving a sense of harmony and balance on a tour where ego could easily come into play.
Full Photo Gallery
"The basic plan was to ask the promoters in the different towns we were going to who was the bigger draw in that town," Hood recalls when asked how they decided who would shut down each night.
"It was about 50/50 anyway, so it just kind of worked out ... no B.S., it's been very smooth."
And though you might expect that from bands as established and mature as the two in question, one had to wonder how the groups' devoted and diverse fan bases would react to seeing their favourite forced to share a stage.
Hood promises everyone's been on their best behaviour.
"Everybody's seen the potential of what a fun, cool thing this is and kind of rallied with it," he insists.
"People who have only listened to one band or the other might really dwell on the differences and there'll be that handful of people from both camps that see their band and then leave, and it's like (makes obscene gesture) ... I don't see how anyone who seriously loves either of these bands could not end up developing a fondness for the other."
Agreed. And when you see how much they both love to be on stage - together and apart - and the fondness they have for all the fans, you see an almost parental sense of guidance for the faithful emerge, regardless of what shirt a fan is wearing or which tracks get more iPod spins.
And The Phoenix didn't seem any less packed after The Hold Steady tore through an hour-plus of material (the set had to start early to make time for two full shows) than it did when the Truckers twanged their way into the hearts of the 1,300 on hand.
"It's rare for bands at this level of shows to get to co-head together," Hood admits, now about two-weeks into a month-long schedule.
"As much as I'm ready to go home and see my family I'm kind of dreading it being over ... you don't say that very much on a tour."
Honesty? Passion?
It must be true what they say: the road to rock and roll heaven is paved with great guitar lines and good intentions.
To see
CityNews.ca's interview with Patterson Hood, click on the video link up top.
More Music:
Hamilton's Arkells Head Promisingly Down Canada's Long Rock And Roll Road
Cali Rockers The Bronx Take T.O. On U.S. Election Night
Local Songsmith Shawn Hewitt Makes Heartfelt Impression With Long-Awaited Debut
aaron.miller@citynews.ca