Sleater-Kinney Concert Review Archive / 2001-2006

Sara has a variety of pics of S-K as well as the Black Keys up on her site.

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Brittany and Lindsey have a load of pictures available. Click here to see the rest of them.

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False_Alarm posted a setlist and some pics over at Show Me Yr Riffs.

Oh!
Turn It On
Faraway
Oxygen
the Remainder
Get Up
Light Rail Coyote
One Beat
Hollywood Ending
Words + Guitar (crowd sing along)
New song
Combat Rock
You’re No Rock N Roll Fun
I Wanna Be Yr Joey Ramone
Sympathy
the End of You
Step Aside

Fortunate Son (dedicated to that fucker George W Bush!)
Little Babies
long jam session
Dig Me Out

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Melissa McMasters sent in these photos from the High Dive:

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By Melissa McMasters

This was my first Sleater-Kinney show, and it was well worth the drive from Memphis. The Black Keys were great, although it would have been nice to have actually seen them (tall guys + curly hair + right in front of you = limited visibility).

S-K was predictably fantastic. They played everything from One Beat except Funeral Song, Prisstina, and Sympathy, plus the other favorites like The End of You, Dig Me Out, and Call the Doctor. The highlight for me was unquestionably Ironclad–it’s my favorite song from AHOTBO and I don’t remember seeing that it was played a lot on this tour. That was a great surprise. The new song is great too.

There wasn’t a lot of banter from the stage, but Carrie mentioned that her parents met in Champaign, and that Janet’s dad used to live there as well. Janet suggested that Carrie was conceived in Champaign, to which she replied, “I was NOT!” Janet’s answer of “That’s not what I heard” got a big “Ooooo” from the crowd, and Carrie, puzzled, said, “Why was that a burn?” Janet finished off with “Haha, your parents had sex!” before starting into the next song. It was cute.

The only issue with the show was that the High Dive was so packed with people that there was no room at all to move. I had a girl crushed like dead weight into my spine for the better part of S-K’s set. Corin at one point said, “Move your feet a little–circulate!” which was literally impossible, at least in my area. So everybody was moving as much as they could, but I don’t know that you could call it dancing. I think if there had been an inch for anyone’s feet to give, there would have been plenty of dancing. The crowd was pretty into it.

So with the very obvious exception of the floor space/visibility issue, the show was great. I hope the band will come back around that way sometime–or, you know, slightly closer than 6 hours away from Memphis!

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Debbie Clapper sent in this set of pictures. Click on them to get the full size version.

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Jamie Young submitted this great batch of photos:

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By Jimmy Stevenson

I decided to drive 3 hours from Pittsburgh to Columbus to see my ladies rock the house. And that they did. I had a few encounters with them, and even met Corin twice. I was at a loss at where to park at the venue ? so I went around back and low and behold there the tour van was, and Corin, Carrie and Janet were unloading. I realized I was in the wrong parking lot ? the one reserved for the band and employees, so I found another place to park. I was tempted to yell something out the window, but I wasn?t feeling that obnoxious yet. I was there about 2 hours early so I checked out all the sights of downtown Columbus. Really cool vintage shops and an amazing indie record store across the street ? where I picked up Cadallaca?s ?Out West.? I stopped for a beer across the street, and then for a cup of coffee to re energize myself after that hellacious drive. It was FREEZING outside, but the doors opened at 8, and Little Brother?s loaded the sold out crowd into the club. The club is really cool ? quaint and clean. I grabbed another beer and bought a few stickers at the merch table. After awhile, Corin came over to the merch table. My heart sunk. I?ve had a little crush on her for a while. I went over, bought two stickers from her, had her sign my copy of One Beat, and told her she was agoddess. She scrunched her nose up, laughed and said thanks. I felt like a huge dork, but it was exciting.

The Black Keys opened.They were REALLY good. I bought their album after they?re set, and have been enjoying it since. It wasn?t one of those opening bands where you?re looking at your watch tirelessly; hoping to God they?d depart the stage, or hoping the roof would crash in on them. They were an excellent guitar/drum band.

Finally at around 9:30 or so, Sleater ? Kinney took to the stage. Corin looked SO cute. She had on this black ruffled skirt, fishnets and heels of some sort. Janet and Carrie were as equally hot. I?m trying to paint a vivid image for ya?ll, seeing how my pictures came out rather shitty.

I don?t remember the setlist EXACTLY, but they played a set that looked something like this:

Start Together
Faraway
Oh!
Get Up!
The Remainder
Light Rail Coyote
Turn It On
One Beat
The End of You
O2
:new song:
Combat Rock
YNRARF
Sympathy
Words & Guitar
Hollywood Ending
Step Aside
————-
Joey Ramone
Little Babies
: JAM:
Dig Me Out

The whole show was amazing. I know people were talking about Corin supposedly being sick or whatnot, but it didn?t really show at the Columbus show. She was spot on, and the entire band was very tight. A LOT of jamming, dancing, and the band looked like they were having a ton of fun. The new song is really animated ? so many different components and changes in the song. I can?t wait until it?s recorded. Carrie sounded great. Janet rocked on drums as usual. Her stamina and gift for rhythm blows me away every time. The crowd went NUTS when they played Turn It On, and Corin tried to get the crowd to sing the slow parts on Words & Guitar, but everyone was a little shy. A few seemed to sing out (myself included),which seemed to make everyone happy. My favorite number of the night was probably Sympathy. Corin throws so much soul and emotion behind it. Carrie urged them to put the disco ball on (and they did) for Step Aside. The crowd, and the band dancing to no end. The encore rocked as well ? with a really long, intricate drum solo by Janet straight into Dig Me Out. What a show.

I got one more beer after the show, and as I was walking around, Corin came around the corner. They were giving out free posters ? she signed mine, and I was finally more loosened up, and less nervous about talking to her. I wanted to tell her from the get go how much her and the bands music means to me, and what an impact it?s made on my life. I commented on One Beat, telling her what an eclectic masterpiece it is, and how Sympathy is my favorite song. I wished her luck on the Pearl Jam tour, and told her how I try and sing like her in the car and my friends tell me to shut up. She laughed, and was so warm and receptive. We talked for a good five or so minutes, but I was still sort of nervous so it seemed like forever. The fact that I actually excused myself to leave made me laugh ? she was actually interested to talk to me. She wasn?t in some all fired hurry. I asked for a hug, and got another as I left! Corin, if you ever read this?you made my night. Thank you.

The only thing I regret is taking all my pictures during the set. I didn?t have any film left over for a picture with her. Bummer. Maybe next time. My pictures came out foggy ? damn Fuji film.

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By Chris DeLisle

Interesting show at the Majestic Theatre in Detroit. This is my 3rd show and, musically, I don’t think Sleater-Kinney’s ever been better. Their interplay continually amazes. And when they kick up the volume, there’s not a band in the world I’d rather listen to. However, the crowd was a bit on the lacklustre side. The only problem I had with the show is that I couldn’t hear either Corin’s or Carrie’s vocals. In fact, the only singer I could hear very well was Janet. My friend told me Janet even told the mixer to turn her vocals down a bit. Also, Corin might have been a little on the sick side ~ that might have had something to do with it.

Highlights: opening with “Oxygen” and “Oh!” into “The Drama You’ve Been Craving”…the punk rock version of “You’re No Rock & Roll Fun”…the new song with Carrie starting it off with the tambourine (again, though, couldn’t hear a word she sang)…the drum solo, leading into “Words & Guitar,” which kicked major ass…”Step Aside,” which might be my absolute favorite song of theirs…”End Of You”…Janet’s drumming throughout the night…the encore.

Sadly enough, I’m not familiar enough with the new songs to be able to tell which song (and in which order) was played. But they played about ten of them off the new album. The encore was “Little Babies” into a long segue into an apocalyptic “Dig Me Out.”

The lowlight of the night might have been Carrie admonishing the crowd for not having any energy. She mentioned that the band fed off of us and that she wasn’t feeling any reaction from us at all. (I tried the best I could all night, with plenty of “woo-hoos” but…) She even said at one point towards the end that they were playing for themselves and they weren’t sure why we were even there. The crowd tried to make it up towards the end after that, but it might have been too late.

My friend and I tried to figure out what the various problems were. Detroit’s normally a pretty happening venue. The last time S-K was @ the Majestic, the show was absolutely amazing. I remember their version of “White Rabbit” sounded pristine. For me, as I’ve said, the only difference this time was the vocal mix. Perhaps if they toured here in the fall or spring, it might have made a difference; the crowd might have been livelier. Who knows…

Still, a song without vocals by S-K is better than virtually every other band out there.

P.S. — the Black Keys were excellent. Their cover of “She Said She Said” kicked ass, as did most of their other songs. I thought, live, they were much more interesting and enjoyable than the White Stripes. Apparently, however, some dipwad in front was giving them the finger, presumably because he wanted to hear S-K play. Nice guy. This town has enough of an image problem to overcome :(

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By PJ Sparks

I just wanted to say a few things regarding last night’s show in Toronto, which is to say this isn’t really a review…although I’m sure someone who was there will do a better job at that than I…

There were about four people who wanted to fuck the whole night up. Three guys and one girl behaved so poorly that it looked liked the band couldn’t enjoy themselves. Anyone on this group who waas there and near the front know exactly what I’m talking about.

Carrie asked that us Canucks do some dancing because they had to travel thru the shitty weather. Those four decided that meant moshing, and clearing as much space as possible. I mean, try up and down, not side to side, fuckers. And from what I could see – and I was right there – it was the girl starting the riot. What chaos you caused. Janet had to come out from the drumkit to make sure some girls near the front were doing alright.

One guy had to be kicked out, and the other three had to be told two or three times to stop it. Still they looked at security like they were from mars. After the girl left about 2/3rds into the opening set, it looked as though Carrie and Corin could shake their hair and guitars around. Maybe it was that the guys w/o her just couldn’t do it all by themselves, and chilled down a bit. As far as I’m concerned that’s too long for a band to look as though things are going to be okay.

The music was great, and I would opt to see them vs anything else I could be doing, but it was my worst SK show experience. It was painful watching the band have to watch this. I know I can’t be the only one who thinks this. Furthermore, there was no merchandise for sale (at least SK, the Black Keys had their stuff) due to border restrictions I was told. It’s true that stuff will likely be available on KRS, but I was looking forward to buying one of those new brown tee’s for my sister and me.

I know this has sounded completely negative, but believe me, anyone who was there and who had seen at least one other show would probably agree that that other show was a better experience. They did sound great though. Just those 4 fuckers…

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