Pitchfork: The Hold Steady Announce May Tour Dates

The Hold Steady Announce May Tour Dates
Will bypass the Nice Nice in favor of, you know, real venues

We've got to start it with a positive jam!! The Hold Steady, the new vessel for ex-Lifter Puller frontman Craig Finn's Johnny-Cash-narrative-flair-meets-pop-culture-hypertext stylee, will be playing select cities in the U.S. during May and June, as well as one stop at the Carling Islington Academy in London, England. The Hold Steady's Frenchkiss Records debut, Almost Killed Me, is gathering rave reviews for its intelligent bar-band aplomb, and quickly becoming the record most likely to piss off people who're too cool for their own good and/or can't get past the awesomely grating vocals. We're telling you, it's a Neutral Milk Hotel thing. With patience, you will all come to realize its genius. Dates:

05-15 London, England - Carling Islington Academy
05-21 Washington, D.C. - Black Cat
05-23 Chicago, IL - Fireside Bowl
05-25 Cleveland, OH - Beachland Tavern
05-27 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
05-28 Boston, MA - Bill's Bar
05-30 New Haven, CT - BAR Nightclub
06-01 Philadelphia, PA - Khyber Pass
06-02 Baltimore, MD - Supreme Imperial