VIA PRESS RELEASE | The Hold Steady are pleased to announce Stay Positive, a charming, illustrated children’s book based on the beloved song of the same name, arriving October 1 via Akashic Books. Pre-orders are available now wherever books are sold.
Signed copies of Stay Positive—which features The Hold Steady song illustrated by award-winning cartoonist and comic book author David “El Dee” Espinosa—will also be available. In addition, a Limited-Edition Package is on offer including bookplates signed by the band, an exclusive Stay Positive sticker sheet, and official Stay Positive-themed, THS reusable water bottle only available as part of this bundle.
A call to arms to stand strong and persevere during trying times, Stay Positive is based upon the title track of The Hold Steady’s acclaimed 2008 fourth album, a longtime fan favorite and staple of the band’s jubilant live shows. The new 32-page book for readers of all ages follows the path of a humble armadillo who discovers along the way how music can pull together a disparate cast of characters. A lesson in tenacity and maintaining a positive attitude when encountering adverse situations, Stay Positive ends up in a unified celebration that mirrors the triumphant joy of a Hold Steady performance.
“‘Stay Positive’ has a line that says, ‘The kids at the shows will have kids of their own,’ and it’s true: each year more Hold Steady fans become parents or grandparents,” says The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn. “So, I’m thrilled that we’re offering the children’s book version of Stay Positive, which brings THS joy to the whole family.”
Stay Positive follows last year’s publication of The Gospel of The Hold Steady: How a Resurrection Really Feels, an oral history by Michael Hann and The Hold Steady available via Akashic Books at all booksellers now. In addition, a Limited Edition Package for The Gospel of the Hold Steady remains available, including a copy of the book signed by the band as well as the signed chapbook, TJK on THS—a behind-the-scenes photo journal by guitarist Tad J. Kubler spanning the band’s two-decade history (along with an exclusive introduction by THS frontman Craig Finn).
Fresh off three sold-out London shows for The Weekender 2024, The Hold Steady recently announced The Hold Steady Constructive Summer 2024, featuring very special weekends of headline shows and exclusive events in Seattle, WA (May 30-June 1), Washington, DC (June 20-22), and Denver, CO (August 22-24), along with a previously announced weekend in Toronto, ON (May 2-4). Individual tickets and three-day all-in passes are on sale now. An additional three-day weekend event is slated for Atlanta, GA on October 3-5. For complete details, updates and ticket information, please see theholdsteady.net.
In addition to Constructive Summer 2024, The Hold Steady will make festival appearances including Milwaukee, WI’s annual Summerfest (Saturday, June 29) and St. Paul, MN’s Minnesota Yacht Club Festival (Saturday, July 20), with a just-announced special stripped-down storytellers set at The Space in Evanston, IL (Friday, June 28). Tickets for all events are on sale now.
The Hold Steady are also traveling abroad for Boys and Girls Down Under, a special 20th (+1) Anniversary Australian Weekender, including eagerly awaited shows and events at Melbourne’s The Croxton Bandroom (May 24, 25) and Stay Gold (May 26). Special add-on events include a Friday VIP Guitar Workshop with Tad Kubler and Steve Selvidge and a Saturday Soundcheck Happy Hour at The Croxton Bandroom. An exclusive Boys and Girls Down Under Merch Bundle is also available, featuring an event-themed poster, tote bag, and wristband.
