On Tuesday I ventured to former DBIS poster Dale's state of Maine to see another Hold Steady show. This was a far smaller crowd than the one I had attended in Boston a few weeks ago, but far more raucous. Give a few dozen alpha males unlimited access to Pabst Blue Ribbon and they get pretty aggressive. I was not ten feet from singer, Craig Finn, and therefore, in the thick of the mosh pit, partially enjoying the explosive goings-on, and I confess taking pleasure in pushing and shoving back against these inebriated fans who were probably half my age, but mostly I realized the utter stupidity, rudeness, and potential for danger that was on display. So what's a venue and a band to do? Many patrons, including small women, were being jostled, and the experience could have resulted in injuries. The frenzy ignited the band to new heights of intensity, but at what price? Would a roped off section on the floor be the thing to do in order to segregate the boneheads from the fans who simply want to enjoy the show? Has anyone seen this handled in reasonable fashion anywhere?

Peter T.