It's been a whole decade since Craig Finn first immortalized Ybor City by referencing it in two songs — "Most People Are DJs" and "Killer Parties" — off The Hold Steady's 2004 debut, Almost Killed Me. Today, with less than two weeks until the band's return to Ybor City (obvious favorites of WMNF's 33rd Annual Tropical Heatwave lineup next Saturday), The Hold Steady have released a brand new video for "I Hope This Whole Thing Didn't Frighten You," the lead single from latest LP, Teeth Dreams (out now via Postive Jams/Washington Square/Razor & Tie).
A press release states the Brooks Jones-directed clip was shot this past February during a show that found the musicians celebrating 10 years together at Music Hall of Williamsburg. While Finn & co. (including new guy Steve Selvidge, who started playing with Hold Steady during the support tour for 2010's Heaven Is Whenever) have aged a bit along with their music, the cut (and the video) still beam with the kind of energy and classic Hold Steady sound fans have come to know and love (for some reason the finicky pricks at Pitchfork just can't get behind the new LP, but obviously loved the old stuff). Hold Steady guitarist Tad Kubler, for his part, likes the song.
"There’s the pulsating drive of the rhythm section and the interplay between [guitarist] Steve Selvidge and I," he told Rolling Stone, "with Finn spitting and snarling about good people making bad choices, stumbling through darkness in search of something bigger and brighter."
You can judge for yourself by watching the video below before bellying up to the Cuban Club Mainstage (R.I.P. bandshell) at 10:30 p.m on Sat., May 10. More info on Heatwave — including ticketing and the complete schedule — is available at wmnf.org.
UPDATE: Rolling Stone has an exclusive of the video until our own Ybor City bars close the doors tonight at 3 a.m. In the meantime, watch the video here.
