Back in February I saw Craig Finn of the Hold Steady perform at a small club in Detroit.  Finn was touring in support of his first solo album, “Clear Heart, Full Eyes,” a collection of brilliant songs that have been rolling around in my head for months now.  After the show Finn spoke to fans and signed autographs.  I quickly purchased the CD and waited eagerly in line to meet him.  This is a cliche, but Finn really seemed like a regular, cool guy–like someone you’d strike up a conversation with while waiting in line to get into a club for a live show.  I told him that I was a graduate of Boston College (sort of a lie–I graduated from the Weston Jesuit School of Theology which is now a part of BC)–Finn attended BC as an undergrad.  I needed a point of connection to strike up a conversation so in desperation I stretched the truth a bit!  We talked a bit about BC and their football team and he signed the CD.  He did not ask my name, he just signed it “Stay Positive!” and then scribbled his autograph.

“Stay Positive” is the name of the Hold Steady’s 4th album–and also the name of a song on that album.  Finn has commented on what the title means: “the idea of ageing gracefully [...] keeping going, perseverance [and] how to stay true to the ideals and ideas you had when you were younger.”

My first thought when I saw those words written on the front of my CD was that Finn uses the term “Stay Positive” like a Christian says “Peace be with you” or a Muslim says “As-Salaam-Alaikum,” or “Peace be upon you.”  I don’t know what sent my mind in this direction–perhaps because “Stay Positive” is not a welcome or greeting (or mandate?) you hear every day, so I quickly looked for a place in my experience to house this phrase.  My interpretation left me feeling spiritually uplifted, as did Finn’s performance (and that of his touring band), but I left the venue with the sense that I should have returned the greeting in some way.  What would that be?  “You too” or “Likewise” are way too impersonal.  In retrospect, I should have just thanked Finn for producing intelligent music that washes the streaks of cynicism from my soul and enables me to, yes, Stay Positive.

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