After moving from Minneapolis in 2000, vocalist/guitarist Craig Finn resisted musical trends in New York City and formed the anthemic, classic rock-inspired band The Hold Steady. Described by Billboard as "Brooklyn's working class heroes," the group has since released four gritty, observational albums, each of which have gained wider critical and popular acclaim, culminating with 2008's, Stay Positive (Vagrant Records), which earned them the designation by Maxim as "the best band in America." At the base of the Brooklyn Bridge, the Hold Steady worked a packed crowd into a frenzy in lower Manhattan at the Old Emigrant Savings Bank Building, built in 1908 and designated a New York City landmark after ceasing operations in 1965. From the richly decorated banking hall's marble floors to its stained-glass skylights, the building was brought to life again for one rocking night.
