The Hold Steady are a band that inspires a special kind devotion from their fans.

Whether it was the father/son duo from Denver who are following the band on this short northern tour, or the converts from last summer's MySpace Secret Show, those who walked away from The Railyard last night knew they had just seen the show of the year.

Perhaps it was singer Craig Finn's intimate, lyrical storytelling style that translated so well in a venue where you could reach out and touch the emotive frontman as he spit tales of love, lust, partying, and life.

Between lyrics, he bounced giddily around stage, often reaching out into the crowd, mouthing lyrics, making each person feel like part of the story.

The crowd was thinner than last year's show, but the the band didn't let it affect their performance.

They seemed to be truly having the time of their lives on the tiny stage in one of the smallest venues on this tour, which takes them from St. Olaf College outside Minneapolis to The Crocodile Cafe in Seattle.

Guitarist Tad Kubler, who was hospitalized with pancreatitis shortly after last summer's show, was on fire, even breaking out a double-necked Jimmy Page-style guitar on "Lord I'm Discouraged," on which keyboardist Galen Polivka also brought out his accordian.

After the band finished their set, the three dozen or so fans packed in front of the stage calling for more. For a crowd of that size, the band would have been completely forgiven for not coming out for the encore.

They did, ending the three-song encore with "Slapped Actress" from 2008's "Stay Positive," with the sing-along "wo-a-wo-oh's."

In the end, they completely lived up to the hype as "America's Greatest Bar Band."

Don't believe me? Just Google it.