These two shows at The Fox Theater in Oakland marked what was basically the last night on the road for what may have been the most challenging tour in Sleater-Kinney’s 25 years on this Earth. Not only were they out to support the single most-divisive record in their catalog, but their long-time drummer, Janet Weiss, abruptly quit the band in the middle of rehearsals.
A lot of hardcore fans felt betrayed. People were demanding refunds because they bought tickets under the impression that they were getting the core trio of Corin Tucker and Janet Weiss and Carrie Brownstein. All of this meant that, instead of hitting the road in celebration of their career, Sleater-Kinney have to prove themselves all over again. They couldn’t rest on their reputation of being the fiercest live band around.
This weight would cause weaker bands to crumble. Not the mighty Sleater-Kinney. Janet Weiss left on June 1st. The first show was September 15. This meant they had two and a half months to audition, teach, and rehearse a drummer. To play 30-35 song sets that cull from a catalog of nine albums. Often times varying the set dramatically every night.
Instead of wallowing in adversity, Sleater-Kinney would much rather crush that adversity into dust. At least that’s what they did in Oakland.
The first move they made towards crushing our expectations was the choice in opener. In 2019, there is no shortage of great female-centered rock bands that grew up on Sleater-Kinney. Instead of enlisting a Cherry Glazerr or a Bleached for this tour, they called upon Chicago soul singer Kaina to open up this leg of the tour. Her sax and bass-fueled grooves called to mind Sade, while her potent, powerful, and at times clever lyrics were still pure Riot Grrl. She sang in English and Spanish, and by the end of her 40 minute set, the floor was dancing. She’s on track to follow the lead of other past SK openers like The White Stripes, The Black Keys, and Lizzo all the way to household name status.
The first night was slightly imperfect. And it wasn’t the band’s fault, for the most part… The performance was plagued by a muddy mix, as well as the least energetic audience I’ve ever been in for Sleater-Kinney. Corin Tucker’s vocals were nearly indiscernible. And, during “All Hands On The Bad One,” the band fell out of sync about halfway through.
Despite these flaws, the band was still exceptionally passionate. Tucker and co-leader Carrie Brownstein interplayed off each other as if they were of one mind. Brownstein also told a very dark and honest tale about living in the Bay Area. She also called out couples that use their song “Modern Girl” as their wedding song. (Note: I was at this show with my partner, and we did indeed, use this song as our first dance. We just looked at each other and laughed.)
So, night 1 was OK. Night 2? Night 2 was sonic fire.
The mix was fixed for night 2. The set opener, “The Center Won’t Hold,” which starts with some dark, synth-driven sparseness, seemed to ignite the audience nicely. And, when they guitars kick in, roughly three minutes into the song, the room felt like it was going to explode! The audience was feeding the band, and the band was feeding the audience, and it turned into a giant mass of energy that was continuously generated throughout the set.
The set was utterly furious, and never relented. There was a stretch of seven songs: “Jumpers,” “Reach Out,” “Bury Your Friends,” “Ironclad,” “RUINS,” “What’s Mine Is Yours” (Complete with an extended guitar solo mid-song), and “All Hands On The Bad One” where they didn’t stop for a breath. This was Ramones-style speed and intensity, only with considerably more dynamics. Other key moments included “Bad Dance,” a cut off of their new record which sounded like classic Sleater-Kinney when set alongside the rest of their catalog. “The Fox” was played so loudly and intensely that I could feel my bones vibrating. Tucker let go of the guitar for the brand new single “ANIMAL” and the band sounded like they stepped right out of 1978’s CBGB.
A keyboard was wheeled out for the encore, and only Tucker and Brownstein were on stage. At first glance, things seemed like they were going to calm down. However, instead we may have experienced the most intense moment of the night, where the two of them performed the sole piano ballad of Sleater-Kinney’s catalog, “Broken.” A pretty song on the record became a passionate ode to women standing up for themselves on the witness stand, despite the dangers of doing so. A song that was fairly directly inspired by Christine Blasley Ford, and almost moved me to tears both nights.
The show closed with the one-two punch of “Call The Doctor” and “Dig Me Out,” the title tracks of the two records that pretty much started it all for this band. This, of course, provoked a sweaty sing-a-long pogo that was the exact emotional release that I needed. It was also a great way of saying something like, “Even though we’ve changed a bit, we are still the Sleater-Kinney that has meant the world to so many people.” No matter what direction they decide to go next, I’ll be there, waiting for more.
