As anyone who attended the big Replacements show at Midway Stadium can attest, one of the coolest parts of the event was reveling in the anticipatory excitement that was coursing through the parking lot before the show. Lawn chairs were unfolded, grills were fired up, beers were cracked, and Replacements songs blared from every angle. Even without drinking, it was easy to get buzzed wandering around and soaking up the sunshine and sheer joy of the moment.

It's no secret that Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn is a huge fan of the Replacements, and we thought it'd be fun to have him take part in the pre-show festivities before he got ready to open for the band inside the stadium. With only an hour to go before gates opened, we brought Finn out of his trailer and into the crowd to geek out with some of the most die-hard fans—and in the process, learned more from Finn himself about his 'Mats fandom and his excitement about playing such an historic night at the baseball stadium.

The Hold Steady return to the stage tonight to open for the Replacements once again at Forest Hills Stadium in New York, NY. And for a preview of what might go down in New York tonight, revisit our coverage of the Midway Stadium show here.

Craig Finn on why he loves the Replacements and baseball

Craig interviews unsuspecting fans in the Midway parking lot

Craig and Jill Riley talk about what it means to open for the Replacements