I'm in love with Sleater-Kinney. I saw em last night at the Roseland Ballroom, and I can now say unequivocally that they rock harder that any other band out there. Everyone gives the White Stripes credit for getting such a big sound without a bass player. Forget not S/K, who could kick the White Stripes' ass in a battle of the bands. They rock harder and have more substance, whereas the Stripes sometimes threaten to sink under the weight of their own style. What I'd really like to see is Janet Weiss go one on one with Meg White. Ms. Weiss is ferocious back there. There's little doubt who would end up the queen of the kit.
They started loud and hard, and didn't let up for an hour and a half. Corin Tucker wailed and warbled. Carrie Brownstein chanted, harmonized, and set the stage on fire with her guitar work. They sounded fantastic. Amazingly tight. That's a benefit of playing together for so many years, I guess. No slouches in theatricality either, they kicked, jumped, squealed, pointed, and made me feel like jumping out of my damned skin. If I could kick ass half as hard as the ladies of Sleater-Kinney, I'd be the baddest ass kicker in Brooklyn.
A couple of years ago, I caught them at Roseland as well. The difference this time was definitely the solos. On their latest, "The Woods," the solos and guitar flourishes are very pronounced. Onstage, they actually indulged in long breakdown jams, to the delight of most of the audience, many of whom seemed also to be in love with S/K (not surprisingly, there was a higher lesbian-to-hetero ratio here than almost any other place I've been, though I admit, I haven't been to that many lesbian haunts).
They were kind enough to bestow on us two, count em two encores and seemed to be genuinely pleased that we hooted and hollered to bring em out for a second. They even played the Danzig ditty "Mother" for us.
Sleater-Kinney, you're the best!
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