Sleater-Kinney Concert Review Archive / 2001-2006

By Josh Pillow

I have seen Sleater-Kinney at least 15 times now and this will go down as one of the most memorable. I was about 4 people back and had a wonderful view of the entire band (being taller than anyone in the whole place helped that). This was the first time I really got to watch Carrie and what she does. She is by far the most emotional and energetic about what she is doing onstage. Her famous rock star poses will never grow tiresome. The beautiful thing about seeing SK live is that they are all three so happy to be playing with one another. Watching them exchange glances with each other and smile and laugh makes you feel lucky to be there. That being said the crowd seemed pretty dead last night, in comparison to the two nights before in Los Angeles. And I am really growing tired of people that are too cool for school being up front. If you don’t want to support the band by clapping and dancing however you see fit, go to the back and have a smoke or something. Don’t take up valuable space. They played all of the new songs they have been playing on the tour with the exception being Prisstina was not played. They played a few songs from the Hot Rock including “Get Up”. It was a show of mostly new songs with some older ones here and there. Pretty much like the rest of the tour. We weren’t treated to any cover songs last night though. Still a wonderful experience from the best band in the world. I am only sad that today is my last day, in Pomona, of the four days in a row trip I have going to see them.

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Erma sent in these pics from the Highlands.

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My pictures available here.

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By Han Q Duong

The second night in Los Angeles was actually the first night on sale, so it was completely sold out. Now, I don’t know the exact sales figures, but the El Rey can hold about 800 comfortably and the Highlands can… not. Not to say it was uncomfortable, but you could tell the show was considerably more packed than the night before.

By the time Sleater Kinney hit the stage, the house was full and you could tell the temperature was starting to rise. It was never dangerous, but it was hot and sweaty and emotionally charged. Corin considerately passed the front row some of her water in the middle of the set.

The One Beat material was pretty much the same as before, with the addition of Prisstina to the setlist. I think they may have dropped Funeral Song, but I can’t quite remember.

The rest of the material was completely changed around, with only Rock N Roll Fun and Turn it On being brought out from the night before. I loved the setlist, which included relative rarities like Stay Where You Are and Good Things. The now customary encore cover was Bruce Springsteen’s “The Promised Land.” I thought it was a great complement to the One Beat material, as the Boss’s work is always evocative of blue collar hope and love in America. Indeed, both Springsteen and Sleater-Kinney talk about what’s important and ultimately worth fighting for, even when the American Dream doesn’t quite seem like what it’s supposed to. The focus of this super impressive performance was Janet Weiss, who played harmonica while simultaneously playing drums. What kind of breath control does that take?

The crowd was really into the show, with the ground shaking thunderously each time Sleater-Kinney hit each chorus. “We thought last night’s crowd was rowdy. I think you guys are even rowdier,” remarked Carrie. “We’re playing a few more songs just because you guys are the best crowd we’ve seen all tour.” Aww, I bet you say that to all the crowds, Carrie.

Speaking of Carrie… does she have a lot of enthusiastic fans or what? At one point a pair of fans jumped on the stage (on Corin’s side) and made a beeline right to Carrie. They both tried to hug her, but Carrie’s well documented hug-phobia kicked in as she kind of curled up with her guitar to avoid too much contact. She did ask security to be a little more gentle with the girls as they were escorted out. Another woman was going to rush the stage but was stopped by security before she could get her second leg up on the stage.

After the show, Janet Weiss showed she is truly the hardest working woman in show business, as she was at the merch table about five minutes after the show ended. While taking a picture of her at the table, she mentioned that she saw my friend and I “rocking out in the front row for both nights.” Um… I’m not a Sleater-Kinney stalker, I swear.

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My pictures of this show are available here.

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By Han Q Duong

This show was originally scheduled for the El Rey but had to be moved at the last minute because of some issues with the fire marshall. Considering the last minute change, the venue turned out pretty well.

The Highlands, located in the middle of the giant Hollywood and Highland complex, is normally a swank nightclub for dancing or private parties. I think this may have been the first ever rock show they’ve ever hosted. Because of the last minute nature of the event, the people working the club seemed to be on maximum alert, including a pretty heavy frisking upon going in. The roadies and sound crew also seemed to be working double time to get used to the new surroundings as much as possible.

Still, I thought it was a really neat venue. It’s very small, and the stage is only about three feet tall with no barrier whatsoever. I was in the front row just in front of Corin Tucker, and it’s easily the closest I’ve ever been to a performer at a concert.

Corin seemed to like the place, mentioning “This is kind of a step up for us. We were playing parking lots in Arizona, so when they mentioned a place with a Wolfgang Puck’s, we were like ‘SURE!’” With the show running late, that was about all the chatter we got

The setlist was fairly similar to the Sunset Junction show, with every virtually every song off One Beat. The material off One Beat is incredible live, with a good hard ragged edge on all of it. Step Aside, Sympathy and Light Rail Coyote are my favorite new songs, with Oxygen and Hollywood Ending (with Janet’s extended drum solo) coming slightly in behind. Sympathy is amazingly even intense live than on record, with Corin fiery with emotion and Carrie practically falling over with desperate flails with every HEY during the bridge. Nothing really disappointed, although Funeral Song and the Remainder take a while to slowburn through their verse before they get to their rousing choruses and bridges.

They whipped out older songs as far back as Call the Doctor and Joey Ramone, with Dig Me Out represented by One More Hour and Turn it On. The End of You, Youth Decay and You’re No Rock and Roll Fun all made appearances as well. During the encore, Sleater-Kinney rolled through a rollicking cover of the B-52’s Private Idaho (prefaced with Carrie’s cautionary “I hope we don’t fuck this up”).

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Pictures from the Tempe show available here. Fair warning, it’s a very, very slow loading page, since all of them are loaded on one big page.

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By Q

I Saw Sleater-kinney Last Night!!!!!!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
I AM SO HAPPY!!!!!!

S-K was here last night!!!!

it was so great, they played a lot of new stuff, but they opened up with “call the doctor”, and also played “words and guitar”, “you’re no rock n roll fun”, “youth decay”, “get up”, “all hands on the bad one”. they covered a bruce springsteen song ( i cannot remember the name, but something about the promise land. i dunno if thats what its called or not) and at the end janet did a drum solo that lasted like, five minutes at least. if you’ve seen the small kit that she plays on, you know that was just so fucking impressive. *orgasm* rock my socks. then they came out for their encore and thats when they did the cover and words and guitar, and when that was over they did this big long jam thing that was soooooo fucking great, for a really long time, and it was awesome.

right before the encore, i asked carried for her pick when she was done, and she said “maybe” and did this cute little face. it was sooo sweet. inbetween the songs, when i was just like, screaming and clapping and dancing and stepping on everyones feet(sorry everyone!) janet and carrie kept looking at me like i was crazy, but they glad about it, or soemthing, and corin laughed at me when i was screaming “we love you” or something of that nature. right before they played “light-rail coyote” carrie said “we’re gonna need everyones help on this one, so you’ll have to sing along, are you up to it?” and i started screaming again(all this screaming, and seriously, i still have my voice) and carrie pointed at me and said “SHE IS!”

so when it was all done, i went over to the fence where they were, and i saw carrie first, and got the pick(WOO HOO!!!) and then i saw janet and talked to her, and got her to sign my ticket, and she told me “thank you for rocking the front”, because i was right against the amp by carrie, and could have easily fucked up her pedals, had i wanted to, and i was freaking out and having wayyyyyyyy more fun than anyone there (or at least, i was showing it the most because im a SPAZZZZZZZZ). then i got carrie to sign my ticket, then corin, but my hands sweated off the ink (it was one of those pens you have to be careful to let dry for a few seconds) and they signed them again, because they’re sooooo sweet and soooo nice. they stayed out talking to everyone until almost everyone had gone home.

so yeah, i sound like a way over enthused idiot about now, but i dont really care, because that was the most fun i have EVER IN MY LIFE had at a show, even if i did puke up my belly full of water and slam my head into the amp and almost pass out. WAY THE FUCK WORTH IT! and WAY THE FUCK WORTH ALL THE TROUBLE I HAD TO GO THROUGH TO GET THERE.

i could write another post this long and happy about the openers too, the quails, and especially shannon wright(who reminded me of cat power’s equally sad, but more pissed off about it, sister) but i am still tooooooo happy about sleater-kinney. im so fucking glad i got to see a band that i LOVE, that is one of the few that hasnt broken up or died or something (AHEM, HOLE, among others.)

alright. i’ve sounded like a moron enough now for one day. be happy for me everyone.

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The Arizona Star has the only review of the Tucson show I’ve found. Unfortunately, it’s entitled Best Rock Band in America? Not at Club Congress.

It’s not overwhelmingly negative, but it seems to describe a pretty average show. From what I understand, “Club Congress,” is actually the parking lot of the Hotel Congress.

The Aztec Press also has their own review, available here. Excerpt below:

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Lauren has pictures from Emo’s posted here, including this one. You can read the story behind the picture in the review below.

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