I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: August 22, 2021] Wilco / Sleater-Kinney / NNAMDÏ [rescheduled from August 23, 2020]

I saw Sleater-Kinney two years ago.  This was the tour where Janet Weiss had just left the band and I think there were some weird feelings floating around.  The show was odd since they weren’t a trio, but I came away thinking that they sounded amazing.

Last tour the had three additional players: Angie Boylan (drums), Katie Harkin (guitars/keyboards) and Toko Yasuda (keyboards).  This time, their backing band was entirely different.  Almost up front with Carrie and Corin was third guitarist Fabi Reyna (who started She Shreds magazine and was a major force on stage).  Then in the back row was Galen Clark on keys, Bill Athens on bass and Vincent Lirocchi on drums.

I saw S-K 21 years ago when they were a punky trio and while I would have loved to see one more set with Janet on drums, this new set up is really great live.  It allows them to explore in very different ways.  Having Fabi play a series of piercing high notes throughout most of the songs added a nice edge to all of the songs.  She also seemed to allow Carrie a little freedom to move around a bit more (something Carrie seems to be really enjoying).  Plus, now that they have a bassist (!) and a keyboardist, they can make all kinds of sounds.

I was surprised that they announced a tour with Wilco because they sound so different.  Although I know that Carrie and Jeff worked together on Portlandia, and that they are buds.  I feel like many of the Wilco fans had no idea who Sleater-Kinney were.  But there were plenty of S-K fans there to rock.

When I saw them two years ago, they played 28 songs from throughout their career.  Because this was co-headlining, they only had 70 minutes or so and played only 17 songs (only, ha).  This tour focused exclusively on songs from this century.  The oldest song they played was from 2002’s One Beat, otherwise it was all from 2005’s The Woods to the present.

Although I would have loved to hear some of those earlier songs, this set worked really well.  The sort of rage that early S-K had is still there, but channeled more into the words and less into the music.  Although the music is still distinctively S-K.

They played seven of eleven songs from the new album–opening with the operatic “High in the Grass” and sprinkling the other songs throughout the set.  I was pleased to hear “Hurry on Home” and “Price Tag” (this is one of my favorite reunion songs).

They played five songs from The Woods, which I found kind of surprising as I didn’t think that album was very popular in their canon.  But it clearly is with “Jumpers” getting everyone very excited.

It was around this time that Carrie told allow of the S-K fans to come down into the (seated and expensive) pit area.  “These people are all sitting and relaxing, you can stand in front of them.”  The Mann security does not like this, but Carrie said “I give them permission–they’ll go back to their seats when the set is over.”

Although the band sounded great already, it felt like the addition of their fans against the stage singing and dancing gave them an extra boost and the rest of the set was tremendous.

Some of the newest songs have a very different feel for them.  The interesting harmony vocals of “Path of Wellness” are different from anything else they’ve done and t he moodiness of “Complex Female Characters” translates quite well to the stage.

Despite playing eleven fewer songs than last time, S-K still managed to play nine songs that they didn’t play last time, which is pretty sweet.

Of course they did play some of their most loved songs like “Modern Girl” which is one of those songs that I can’t believe is only from 2005–it feels like a timeless classic.  “The Fox” also still sounds great.

The new single “Worry with You” sounded wonderful–the cheerful chorus–with all three women singing–was wonderful.

The old fans were excited to hear “One Beat” but the real power and joy came with a ripping sending ender of “Entertain.”  They ended the main set with that last time and while it was a much bigger ending last time (Carrie stomping on a pedal and the lights going full blacked out), the ending jam and intensity was still great.

I’m sure they impressed a lot of the old guard in the audience and I hope they got some new fans.

⇔ = Path of Wellness (2021)
⊗ The Center Won’t Hold (2019)
⊄ No Cities to Love (2015)
♣ The Woods (2005)
ß One Beat (2002)
∇ All Hands on the Bad One (2000)
ℜ The Hot Rock (1999)
⇑ Dig Me Out (1997)
© Call the Doctor (1996)</st