Sleater-Kinney’s incredible performance at ACL’s Moody Theater proved to be only a warmup for the energy they brought to Stubbs’ outdoor stage last Friday night. Rain nor hail nor gloom of night (seriously, it was all three) could keep the punk rock pure of heart away. Earlier in the week, S-K sounded splendid and tour-tight as they kicked out jams new and old, but even but even the most energetic band might find it hard to get rowdy in the formal setting of a television taping. While ACL does provide a great opportunity for seeing a band without the annoyingness of jostling crowds or incessant phones in the air or bad weather, the energy Sleater-Kinney brought more than made up for these drawbacks that Stubb’s concertgoers endured.
Fueled by the energy and devotion of their fans who stood through a thunderstorm to see them, Sleater-Kinney appeared determined to put on the best show possible. Rumor has it the band even made their way to the line outside the venue before the show and thanked people for waiting in line in the inclement weather. While the ACL crowd had an unmistakable number of folks who came just because they could, Stubb’s’ crowd was comprised by only the most fervent fans. From the first biting note to the final blistering barrage of drums on closer “Turn It On,” fans sang along under an imposing, cloudy sky. My heart fluttered when I looked over and saw some dude completely losing his shit and jumping up and down when the band began playing “Modern Girl.”
Sleater-Kinney embodies and espouses feminist politics. Even though music in general has largely been associated with politically progressive ideologies, many artists seem content to comment tepidly in interviews, rarely invoke political beliefs in songs, and infrequently address social issues from behind the microphone at a show. Sleater-Kinney stand out as shining examples of musicians who use their art to push culture forward. After commenting on the general ridiculousness of the ongoing gender inequality in the world, singer and guitarist Corin Tucker took center stage near the end of the show as she issued a rallying-cry speech calling for “equality” and “respect,” a sort of demand for progress I wish we heard from more artists. Her shouts were echoed by resounding cheers from the crowd, and the power of the moment washed over us all as we were unified in our hope for a better future. Even after the show, the members of Sleaker-Kinney made a trip up the street to Cheer Up Charlie’s to stop in at the Girls Rock Austin benefit. Sleater-Kinney prove that it’s not about rhetoric, it’s about actions that stem from beliefs.
While I generally cringe at calling attention to the fact that a band consists of only women, I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that Sleater-Kinney were not the only girls who took the stage on Friday night. In fact, every member of every musical group to play at Stubb’s on Friday night was female. Three bands and ten ladies. Before S-K, Northwest hip-hop duo THEESatisfaction opened the night with smooth grooves and weird rhymes over spacey production a la ATLiens-era Outkast. Local punk heroes Feral Future performed a set of caustic punk songs at the aftershow indoors, as lead singer Relle stomped around the stage in a white dress reading “I don’t fucking care if you like it,” belting out lyrics with vitriol. If you haven’t seen this punk rock treasure, you should. Even if you have, see ’em again. In the end, Friday night on Red River held one of the most important nights of music in recent memory.
