Yesterday, Sleater-Kinney announced they were calling it quits after 11 years and 7 albums. Like Fugazi and, going even further back, the Minutemen, their absence leaves a huge void of integrity, admirability and creativity in the punk/indie world that won't be filled anytime soon, if ever. S-K were the best live band I've ever seen and the one I've seen ascend in my lifetime that meant the most to me . They had some dud songs and missteps, but their high points were higher and more exciting than those of virtually any of their contemporaries. Although they'll always be relegated to "riot grrl" status in the minds of some, S-K never stayed comfortable with any niche. They sought to fully engage the world with their inimitable, uncompromising and constantly expanding sound (a sound, I'd just like to note, increasingly held together by their hard-hitting, irreplacable drummer Janet Weiss). The overall effect was inspiring and often amazing. And hey, the operable phrase "indefinite hiatus" always leaves open the possibility of a comeback years down the road. If Mission of Burma can do it without missing a step, so can Sleater-Kinney.
Here are their final tour dates for now; luckily I'll be able to see them one last time. There'll also apparently be a final show in Portand to be announced later:
Jul 29 - Louisville KY @ Forecastle Festival
Jul 31 - Philadelphia PA @ the Starlight Ballroom
Aug 1 - Washington DC @ the 9:30 Club
Aug 2 - NYC @ Webster Hall
Aug 4 - Chicago, IL Lollapalooza @ Grant Park
2 comments:
It makes me sad, but then again sometimes her voice really got on my nerves.
I agree the vocals are sometimes annoying, though not so much for me the warbly/shrieky parts; more when they're trying to be "funny"/pop-ish (see: several tracks from "One Beat" and "All Hands...")
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