Toward a comprehensive encyclopedia of The Hold Steady

I'm attempting to analyze and annotate every specific location and person referenced in The Hold Steady's three albums.

Mock me if you want, but I consider this my obligation to future scholars.

Below is an alphabetical list of places and people. Going through the lyrics, I've noticed certain trends: nothing good happens in California; Florida is the situs of ultimate decadence; everyone always comes back to Minneapolis.

If I can figure out a way to properly export a spreadsheet layout into blogger, I'll publish a complete account. I've omitted site-specific references to Minneapolis because they're so copious, and because I don't recognize many of them. The Hold Steady Guide to the Twin Cities is a brilliant resource on that front.

Location Song Album Bay City, MI Sweet Payne Almost Killed Me Beverly Hills, CA The Swish Almost Killed Me Bowdoin, ME Chillout Tent Boys and Girls in America California Hot Fries N/A California Modest Is Not That Sweet N/A Colorado Girls Like Status Boys and Girls in America Chicago, IL Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night Separation Sunday Dallas, TX Don't Let Me Explode Separation Sunday Denver, CO Cattle and the Creeping Things Separation Sunday Denver, CO Milkcrate Mosh N/A Edina, MN Hornets! Hornets! Separation Sunday Hollywood, CA Curves & Nerves N/A Hostile, MA Hostile, Mass. Almost Killed Me Lynn, MA Hostile, Mass. Almost Killed Me Los Angeles, CA Don't Let Me Explode Separation Sunday Massachusetts Banging Camp Separation Sunday Massachusetts Curves & Nerves N/A Michigan Sweet Payne Almost Killed Me

Minneapolis, MN Party Pit Boys and Girls in America Mississippi River Some Kooks Boys and Girls in America Mississippi River Stuck Between Stations Boys and Girls in America Mississippi River Stevie Nix Boys and Girls in America Modesto, CA Modesto Is Not That Sweet N/A Narraganset Bay, RI Some Kooks Boys and Girls in America New Orleans, LA Don't Let Me Explode Separation Sunday New York, NY Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night Separation Sunday Osseo, MN Your Little Hoodrat Friend Separation Sunday Pensacola, FL Killer Parties Almost Killed Me Philadelphia, PA Killer Parties Almost Killed Me Shaker Heights, OH The Swish Almost Killed Me University of Minnesota Stuck Between Stations Boys and Girls in America Virginia Killer Parties Almost Killed Me Western Massachusetts Chillout Tent Boys and Girls in America Ybor City, FL Most People are DJs Almost Killed Me Ybor City, FL Killer Parties Almost Killed Me Person Song Album Nelson Algren Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night Separation Sunday

St. Barbara Don't Let Me Explode Separation Sunday John Berryman Stuck Between Stations Boys and Girls in America Black Sabbath Hot Soft Lights Boys and Girls in America William Blake Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night Separation Sunday Kate Bush Hornets! Hornets Separation Sunday Johnny Cash Barfruit Blues Almost Killed Me Alice Cooper Sketchy Metal Almost Killed Me Andre Cymone The Swish Almost Killed Me Rick Danko The Swish Almost Killed Me John Darnielle Girls Like Status Boys and Girls in America James Dean Killer Parties Almost Killed Me Ellen Foley Certain Songs Almost Killed Me Drop Dead Fred Knuckles Almost Killed Me Freddy Fresh Knuckles Almost Killed Me Humbert Humbert Hornets! Hornets! Separation Sunday King James I Killer Parties Almost Killed Me Jane's Addiction Charlemagne in Sweatpants Separation Sunday Billy Joel Certain Songs Almost Killed Me Jesus Citrus Boys and Girls in America Jesus Your Little Hoodrat Friend Separation Sunday

Jesus Charlemagne in Sweatpants Separation Sunday Jesus Hostile, Massachusetts Almost Killed Me Jesus First Night Boys and Girls in America Jesus Sketchy Metal Almost Killed Me Judas Iscariot Citrus Boys and Girls in America Judas Iscariot Milkcrate Mosh N/A John F. Kennedy Don't Let Me Explode Separation Sunday Jack Kerouac Stuck Between Stations Boys and Girls in America Jack Kerouac Hot Fries N/A James King Killer Parties Almost Killed Me Freddie Knuckles Killer Parties Almost Killed Me Phil Lynott Most People are DJs Almost Killed Me Mickey Mantle Hostile, Mass. Almost Killed Me Meatloaf Certain Songs Almost Killed Me Freddy Mercury Knuckles Almost Killed Me Mary Tyler Moore Stevie Nix Separation Sunday Vladimir Nabokov Hornets! Hornets! Separation Sunday Nazareth Curves & Nerves N/A Stevie Nicks Stevie Nix Separation Sunday Jackie Onassis Don't Let Me Explode Separation Sunday

Sal Paradise Stuck Between Stations Boys and Girls in America St. Paul Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night Separation Sunday St. Paul Saints How a Resurrection Really Feels Separation Sunday Steve Perry The Swish Almost Killed Me St. Peter How a Resurrection Really Feels Separation Sunday Mackenzie Phillips Cattle and the Creeping Things Separation Sunday Porky Pig Hostile, Mass. Almost Killed Me Jada Pinkett Sweet Payne Almost Killed Me Lionel Richie Charlemagne in Sweatpants Separation Sunday Right Said Fred Knuckles Almost Killed Me Robbie Robertson The Swish Almost Killed Me Johnny Rotten Knuckles Almost Killed Me Neil Schon The Swish Almost Killed Me Rocco Siffredi Most People are DJs Almost Killed Me Beverly Sills The Swish Almost Killed Me Nina Simone The Swish Almost Killed Me Patty Smythe The Swish Almost Killed Me Phil Spector Milkcrate Mosh N/A Bruce Springsteen Barfruit Blues Almost Killed Me Rod Stewart Stevie Nix Separation Sunday

Izzie Stratlin Chillout Tent Boys and Girls in America Alfred, Lord Tennyson Chillout Tent Boys and Girls in America St. Theresa Your Little Hoodrat Friend Separation Sunday St. Theresa Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night Separation Sunday The Times Arms and Hearts Boys and Girls in America The Trix Rabbit Cattle and the Creeping Things Separation Sunday Tuscan Raiders The Swish Almost Killed Me William Butler Yeats Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night Separation Sunday