The Hoodrat Recap: a Podcast For The Hold Steady

We're wading into the meat of the middle albums, and the gloves are coming off. Mud is slung. Opinions are defended with the confidence of men who have absolutely been wrong before.

Can Teeth Dreams keep surging, or does Stay Positive hold the lead? Kevin, Mike & Gaspar agree on everything, right up until they don't.

Plus, we announce an exciting new THS theme game you won't want to miss!

Press play. Pick a side. Be wrong with us

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-umbrella-man-and-other-stories-tickets-2003481500099?utm_experiment=test_share_listing&aff=ebdsshios&sg=f43d3ce458bc3d5a0c357d99cf13d2042d12992aa999b22454d16f066dc2e3cddc709323e8d3e1ada673a94e47de8c3b64b6e2f1dbbe39a85e24021c003854edc6f2c87c3fb7a6b48e62eb0673

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Three middle-era Hold Steady albums, one cage match: Stay Positive, Heaven Is Whenever, and the endlessly disrespected Teeth Dreams. This week we settle who actually deserves the skip-button reputation — and why the record everyone wrote off turns out to have more teeth than anyone gave it credit for.

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The Hoodrat Recap heads west for a Pacific Northwest run through Portland and Seattle, joined by Emerald City’s own Rachel and Riverside Matt. Three shows, three wildly different venues: a converted church, a public picnic area, and — yes — an actual working zoo.

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Rachel and Matt break down the weekend show by show, trading highlights and arguing over which setting won. Rachel comes armed with a batch of new zoo-themed titles for Hold Steady classics that get funnier the longer she keeps going. Matt, meanwhile, admits he needed to pull up his credit card statement just to reconstruct where they actually were each night.

Plus: listener voicemails.

Listen to Kevin and Gaspar review the awful Body Cam film with the guys from “The Or Is It” podcast.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/or-is-it-movie-podcast/id1739256989?i=1000781241999

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It’s back, it’s bracketed, and it’s got a drinking game attached — Diamonds in the Drain returns to crown a winner from The Hold Steady’s murky middle era. We’re pulling two tracks apiece from the three albums nobody can ever agree on ranking, and putting them head-to-head for gold, silver, and bronze. Spoiler: we cannot be trusted to be objective, because — say it with us — “but I like all these songs.” Drink every time we say it. You will not make it to the medal ceremony sober.

Before the bracket, we run down the latest Hold Steady news to hit the wire. Then it’s two songs, three albums, one drink-soaked argument about what actually counts as “middle” — and a podium nobody’s happy with.

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Chicago ‘26: three nights, one tornado warning, and a travel itinerary scripted by chaos itself. Night one gets two songs into Talia Hall before everyone — band included — gets herded into the beer cellar for shelter. Night two, the Empty Bottle delivers as the stragglers finally roll in. Night three goes big: massive venue, four massive acts, and Garrett sliding in right as the headliner hits the stage. Gaspar recaps his travel disasters in full Boy Scout rock-uniform glory, and Mike won’t stop bragging about his Lincoln balcony seats in the Land of Lincoln.

They were, against all odds, determined. Chicago ’26 unfolds like a tribute to Planes, Trains and Automobiles—but Unified Scene style.

chalk drawing courtesy of::

https://www.instagram.com/latenightchalkshow

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Tad Kubler stops by The Hoodrat Recap and it feels less like an interview and more like catching up with an old friend. We dig into his new LP Casanova Complex — how he played and engineered more of it than you might expect — and then things get good. Tad unloads road stories from his years with Lifter Puller and The Hold Steady that you will not hear anywhere else. What went down in Albuquerque? Why is Tad Kubler no longer allowed near the fireworks/pyrotechnics? All of that gets answered. So put on your head light…err (or whatever the hell Neil Diamond sang about ET?)

Listen to Tad Kubler's new LP on Bandcamp:

https://tadkubler.bandcamp.com/album/the-casanova-complex

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Mike had less than 24 hours in Boston. Did that stop him from catching two shows at The Sinclair? Absolutely not. Snuck in under the radar, did what he had to do, and lived to tell the tale.

Mark from Minny joins us fresh off four nights in Boston to break down every single one of them — and while he’s at it, he’s handing down the Ten Commandments of General Administration shows. Consider it required listening before your next THS outing. Mark has seen things. Mark has learned things. Mark has smelled things. Mark is passing the knowledge.

Boston weekend in the books. The Hoodrats were there-kinda.

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Rich Tarbell was there from the jump. Like, the actual jump — first shows, floor sweat, all of it. Then somehow he ended up with a camera pass and a direct line to more rock stars than you can shake a setlist at. (Spoiler: they were mostly lovely. Except for one guy from the ’80s who clearly never got the memo that it stopped being the ’80s.) Rich sits down with us to talk Hold Steady history, the beautiful chaos of those early shows, and how a fan becomes the guy with the best seat in the house.

Photo credit: Rich Tarbell

https://richtarbell.com/

Buy Rich's book here:

https://tinyurl.com/3s5jsf8b

Check out Shagwuf here:

https://tinyurl.com/yebxc5r3

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Tad Kubler has a solo album. It’s called The Casanova Complex. It sounds great. It sounds like nothing you expected. It sounds like three different bands depending on who you ask — and the guys absolutely cannot agree on which ones. This is that episode.

Also: Luke from Deepwoods, Michigan called in to vent and accidentally started a whole thing. What begins as a run-of-the-mill ticket buying grievance slowly turns into the kind of honest conversation this community didn’t know it needed!

listen to Tad Kubler’s new LP here:

https://tadkubler.bandcamp.com/album/the-casanova-complex

Listen to a playlist featuring the songs mentioned on this episode here:

Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7JOlPRIH0Bk5uDSDl5O1VX?si=lIUOmLvTTp-5_7tvryEhuA&pi=aybY-o0eSXiDS

Apple Music

https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/casanova-complex-inspirations/pl.u-qxgxsxbpLl

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This week on The Hoodrat Recap, we kick things off with a transatlantic voicemail from Stuart in Scotland 🇬🇧—because the Unified Scene clearly has no borders.

Then we sit down with Lee from Atlanta for a Scene Profile conversation about one of the sneakiest entry points into THS fandom: the humor. From tossed-off one-liners to blink-and-you-miss-them punchlines buried in heavy moments, we talk about how the jokes are often the hook that pull listeners deeper into the songs—and keep them coming back.

Finally, we turned it over to you. We asked listeners to send in the funniest THS lyrics, and you absolutely delivered. From classic crowd-favorite lines to deep cuts only the most dedicated fans would catch, we celebrate the moments that prove sometimes the saddest stories come with the sharpest laughs 😄🎤📼

Funny when they shouldn’t be. Honest when they don’t have to be. And always worth another listen.

Check out Lee Clontz’s blog here:

https://clontz.blog/2026/02/22/fargo-humor-and-the-hold-steady/

Listen to Tad Kubler’s new songs here:

https://tadkubler.bandcamp.com/album/the-casanova-complex

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Listen to Gaspar & Mike breakdown the movie ”Project Hail Mary” this April here:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/film-studies/id1738835569

https://open.spotify.com/show/6U78l2eCnoQ1T5bMbTNLna?si=ir75HvAJSIujqlMQdYGV5Q

They went to London. They survived. And they are NOT okay — in the best possible way. Guest host Beth is joined by Dallas from Dallas and Hurricane Jess, fresh off what they’re calling the greatest Weekenders yet, and honestly? We believe them.

This week we’re recapping every single moment of the London 2026 Weekenders — the Pub Quiz chaos, the meet and greet madness, the Storytellers session, and of course the main sets that had everyone absolutely losing it.

And that’s not all. You, the listeners, came through with so many reviews that this episode basically transports you straight to London. Didn’t make it this year? You will after this episode. Already there? You’ll want to relive every second.

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This week on The Hoodrat Recap, we wade deeper into the muck 💎🕳️ as Round Three of Diamonds in the Drains kicks off—with the controversial middle three albums taking center stage. Lines are drawn, takes are flying, and nobody’s pretending this is an easy stretch of the catalog.

Kevin reports back from Union Pool in Brooklyn with a firsthand review of Craig Finn’s solo show, breaking down the set, the stories, and how it hit in a more intimate room. (Or should we say right outside the room.)

But first we hear from Jeffrey , who leaves an all-timer message detailing his origin story of fandom with THS—a generational saga, and a reminder of how deep this thing goes.

Drain responsibly.

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On this episode of The Hoodrat Recap, we dig deep into the living, breathing history of The Hold Steady—and what it really means to come back home.

Stephanie from Wisconsin (aka UnifiedScene 1) joins us to tell her incredible story. She discovered the band at just their second show ever and quickly became part of the inner circle—helping shape the band’s earliest online presence and riding alongside the boys through the first four albums. Then, just like that… she disappeared for 17 years. Until last May, when she finally came back. Stephanie walks us through hearing Teeth Dreams for the first time and explains—emotionally and honestly—how a resurrection really feels.

Then guitarist Tad Kubler drops in to talk about the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” energy of modern Hold Steady shows: the Confetti Yeti, zombi dancing to Killer Parties, cramped stages, endless headlamps, and the beautiful chaos that comes with it all. Tad also gives an update on his solo work and what he’s been up to outside the band.

It’s a heartfelt, hilarious, and slightly unhinged celebration of fandom, faith, and finding your way back to the sound that made you believe in the first place.

Thanks to Al Storer for Tad Lego photo and artwork!

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Listen here:

https://podlink.com/1559319750?view=apps&sort=popularity

We made it to the finish line, folks…and somehow still want more. In this episode, we break down Night Four of Massive Nights and then zoom out to look at the entire whirlwind weekend. From rare cuts to sing-along chaos to those “I can’t believe they played THAT” moments, we relive every highlight.

Kevin hits us with the impossible question: “Which night was the best night?” We try to answer it. We fail. We debate it anyway.

Then—we drop some actual news about a huge weekend of shows coming this summer. Yes, you heard it here first.

Gaspar and Mike open up about their spontaneous decision to add a surprise “fifth night” to the weekend, and how that experience gave them a whole new appreciation for the “Unified Scene” and all of you who showed up and showed out.

If you were in the room, this is your victory lap. If you couldn’t make it, this is your all-access recap. Let’s go.

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Night Three of Massive Nights 10 will go down as one of the wildest—and weirdest—in the history of the Brooklyn Bowl tradition. The venue’s heat was out, but the band more than made up for it, kicking things off with a scorching soundcheck surprise:

ten brand-new songs, unreleased, unrecorded, and completely unexpected. Fans who arrived early basically walked into a secret future-album preview.

Then came the opening act, the brilliantly named Stay & The Positives, who hit the stage with a wink and immediately launched into the album you know they were going to play—the full track-order performance of Stay Positive, complete with three excellent outtakes that sent the crowd into full-blown setlist-nerd euphoria.

By the time The Hold Steady wrapped up the main event, the total song count for the night hit a staggering 33 songs—a marathon, a celebration, and the kind of unpredictable blowout that only Night Three can deliver.

Tune in as we break down the highlights, the rarities, the running jokes, and the absolute chaos that made this one a night for the books.

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Scene Report from Brooklyn Bowl:

Night Two of Massive Nights 10 came out swinging, starting with the annual Pub Quiz—and this year delivered what might be the single greatest Hold Steady trivia question ever asked. (No spoilers… but trust us, it brought the house down.)

From there, the night exploded into something historic: a full-album performance of Separation Sunday, played front-to-back by a special six-piece opening band cheekily calling themselves Separation & The Sunday’s. They tore through the 20-year-old classic with a blistering, reverent energy that set the tone for a wild night.

And the main event? Eighteen more songs—a scorching, career-spanning set packed with deep cuts, favorites, and all the Massive Nights magic fans come for.

Tune in for the complete breakdown of Night Two: the surprises, the singalongs, the lore, and why Massive Nights 10 is already shaping up to be one for the books.

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On this special flash-cast edition of the Hoodrat Recap, we break down The Storytellers’ first-ever appearance at Massive Nights—and what a debut it was.

Cat from Vermont and Heather "with the Henna on her hands" joins us fresh from the front row to relive the sheer joy of finally catching Cat's “white whale”: a spectacular live “Curves & Nerves” that had the entire room buzzing.

The band kept the surprises coming with a jazzy, loose, and lively set, featuring rare cuts, fresh new songs, and reimagined favorites that set the tone for an unforgettable kickoff to Massive Nights 10.

Tune in for the full lowdown on Night One—the moments, the music, and the magic that only Massive Nights can deliver.

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In this Massive Nights 25 Preview, we kick things off with Gaspar’s unbelievable run-in with none other than Daniel Radcliffe. Yes, that Daniel Radcliffe. After recognizing Gaspar's tee-shirt, Harry Potter himself apparently lit up and proclaimed that The Hold Steady is his favorite rock band — setting the tone perfectly for the magic that Massive Nights always brings.

Then we turn things over to you — the listeners.

You told us your wish list for the 10th-ever Massive Nights, and you did not disappoint. From deep cuts to full-album dreams to the covers you’re hoping to hear, we run through every hopeful request.

You also shared what you’re thankful for as THS fans this year — and it turns out there’s a lot to be grateful for in the Unified Scene.

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Massive Nights 25 is almost here. Let’s get into it.

In this episode, we bring in two non-fans of The Hold Steady — Derek and Mark from The Canadian Film Crew and Or Is It podcasts — to give us their first impressions of three THS songs chosen by you, our listeners!

Will these tracks land somewhere on the “Mark Cohn–Barenaked Ladies scale”? And how does Spruce Stringbean interpret these lyrical deep dives? You might be surprised by how our guests hear the songs that mean so much to the THS faithful.

Then we let Derek and Mark do what they do best — get way in the weeds about movies you’ve probably never seen. This time, it’s the 2011 indie Stuck Between Stations. You can probably guess which song inspired that title.

The crew asks the hard-hitting questions:

🎥 Why should anyone care about this movie?

🎥 Did Michael Imperioli lose a bet to appear in it?

🎥 Did Josh Hartnett actually bike to the set just to retire halfway through filming?

Mike does his best to defend the film’s quirks as just another “typical Minnesota night,” but Derek and Mark aren’t buying it.

It’s a Hold Steady–meets–movie-geek mashup that’s equal parts critique, chaos, and good-natured ribbing — what could go wrong?

Catch The Canadian Movie Crew here:

https://pod.link/1739256989?view=apps&sort=popularity

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This week on The Hoodrat Recap, we’re diving into the live music scene with a full report on Craig Finn and the Band of Forgiveness, who are tearing across the United States with their latest tour. The Hold Steady frontman’s newish solo project is proving to be essential viewing for fans of literate, character-driven rock and roll.

Gaspar phones in from (Le) Poisson Rouge in New York City, where he caught the band in their element at the intimate Greenwich Village venue. Meanwhile, Mike recounts his experience at The Fine Line in Minneapolis—a hometown show with all the energy you’d expect from Finn playing his old stomping grounds.

We also talk about opener James Felice, the bug-photographing squeeze box wizard who brings his accordion and keyboard magic to warm up the crowd. The big question: does this multi-talented musician actually look like Robin Thicke, or have we all been staring at stage lights too long?

Whether you caught one of these October 2025 shows or are living vicariously through us, this episode captures the spirit of a songwriter at the peak of his powers, surrounded by a crack band and playing rooms that hang on every word.

Topics: Craig Finn, Band of Forgiveness, Le Poisson Rouge, The Fine Line Minneapolis, James Felice, tour reports, live music scene​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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