When I bought tickets for SLEATER-KINNEY’s recent show at Starlight Ballroom, I didn’t know what I was in for. Having seen them perform on three previous occasions, I imagined that this short mini-tour was just a prelude to the next step in their career after last year’s The Woods. They did the same thing in 2004 when I saw them at Irving Plaza. They didn’t have a new album to support, so they just played songs from their back catalog. However, at some point after I bought the tickets, I found out that they were taking an “indefinite hiatus”. I take this to mean that they’re breaking up and if they ever decide to get back together, no one can accuse them of cashing in and doing a reunion tour since they never officially “broke up.” OK perhaps that’s a bit cynical, but in any case it’s too bad that they’re leaving the game now.
Before they made The Woods, there was already a hint of tension as singer/guitarist CARRIE BROWNSTEIN wanted to shift the direction of the band into a more classic-rock oriented direction and questioned if they still had anything more to say. As a result, they changed labels (going from Kill Rock Stars to Sub Pop) and producers (from longtime producer and engineer JOHN GOODMANDSON to the iconic indie producer DAVE FRIDMANN, best known for his work with FLAMING LIPS and MERCURY REV) to keep things fresh.
So fast forward to the Philadelphia show. Of course it sold out weeks in advance as fans clamored for their last chance to see the venerable trio. And they didn’t disappoint. One woman held up a sign that said “I don’t want to live in a world without Sleater-Kinney”. I don’t think I would go that far, but I do think that the world of music will be worse off not having them around. Brownstein leaped around the stage like the true rock star that she is while lead singer/other guitarist CORIN TUCKER howled like a banshee and drummer JANET WEISS showed why she’s one of (not just indie) rock’s best drummers.
They played a set that encapsulated most of their career, covering songs from 1997’s breakthrough album Dig Me Out like “The Drama You’ve Been Craving” and main set closer “Words and Guitar” to “Ironclad” from 2000’s brilliant All Hands on the Bad One and a plethora of songs from The Woods, including the eleven-minute plus “Let’s Call It Love,” “Entertain,” “Jumpers,” and album opener “The Fox.” My favorite song of the set was the unbelievably beautiful “Modern Girl”, a poppy antidote to the mostly brittle and harsh feel of The Woods. For the encore, they let the audience choose between “Ballad of a Ladyman” and “Milkshake ‘n Honey” (the former ended up winning out) and closed with “One More Hour,” another audience pick. So will “One More Hour” be the last song that Sleater-Kinney ever plays in Philadelphia? Only time will tell, but one thing’s for sure: if this is indeed it for them, at least they went on a good note, without compromise, and stuck to their guns until the end.
Openers THE ROGERS SISTERS started off the night on an energetic, rocking note. The band, a Brooklyn-based trio led by real-life sisters JENNIFER ROGERS and LAURA ROGERS and also featuring MIYAKI FURTADO on bass, just released The Invisible Deck on the Too Pure label and if their set is any indication, it’s definitely worth a listen. Yes, they’re yet another post-punk influenced band from Brooklyn, but they do it well and they play with energy and passion. I enjoyed their set and would see them again.
I have to credit this fantastic Sleater-Kinney and QUASI website for the setlist and as always, Anne Leavitt-Gruberger for the pictures.
