Kevin Bronson on July 7th, 2010

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Photos, review by Jeff Miller

Steel Train are like a scrappy little fighter who keeps challenging Mike Tyson to matches: Even in the face of extreme adversity, you can’t help but root for them. Now almost 10 years old, the upbeat New Jersey quintet has battled lineup changes, heartbreaking contract disputes, and a name that often gets them confused with a legendary reggae band – not to mention a search for a defining sound that’s seen them lumped in with emo-ish Warped Tour sendoffs and jammy Bonnaroo-ites alike.

Trying to pigeonhole them is a mistake, though: Over the last five years, Steel Train have finally come into their own, with their most recent self-released, self-titled record nothing if not a statement of indie-ified, heartfelt purpose. That increased passion carried over to their show at the barely half-full El Rey on Tuesday night (a potentially ill-advised jump forward for the usually Roxy-sized band, even one that played Coachella in April). Their spirit served their underdog status extraordinarily well, thanks to a youthful crowd ready to sing along with “hey hey heys” and pump their fist to each drum blast (if you’re thinking the Hold Steady for those raised on Jimmy Eat World, you’re not far off).

Though far from packed, the audience was lit up like few L.A. crowds; from the opening jagged guitar blasts of “Bullet,” it was clear that frontman Jack Antonoff was spending more time connecting with the faces that were there rather than dwelling on those that weren’t, mounting ready-for-an-arena energy in a way that belied the night’s intimacy.

Antonoff neared tears while talking about the process of making the album (after recording with scene stalwart Steve McDonald, the band finally finagled their way out of their contract with punk-leaning label Drive-Thru). Then, dressed in full rolled-up-jean-jacket tribute to fellow Jerseyite Bruce Springsteen (whose “Dancing in the Dark” the band faithfully covered), the frontman led his charges through the extended, Arcade Fire-esque four-on-the-floor of “Alone on the Sea” and the buzzy back-and-forth dynamic shifts of “You Are Dangerous,” with bassist Evan Winiker breaking out a wide smile for every one of Antonoff’s vein-strains.

Theirs is the sound of a band determined; perhaps, finally Steel Train will stand atop the big-guy heap after all.

||| Download: “Bullet”