Sleater-Kinney / THEESatisfaction @ Granada Theater, Dallas, TX

To say my knowledge of Sleater-Kinney was minimal would have been a huge understatement if you would have asked me a few years ago. I knew of Carrie Brownstein for endeavors outside of music, see Portlandia. I also saw Carrie and Janet Weiss perform under Wild Flag at Parade of Flesh's 2011 installment of Bro Fest (now Spillover Music Festival). But Sleater-Kinney? I had no idea, that is, until I met my wife. A riot grrrl fan, she shared the ins and outs of the movement and her favorite bands of the time. Most of which, Sleater-Kinney. So over the years, I have heard album upon album, even more so in the coming weeks to the show. So it was a no-brainer that I was going to cover the show, and more importantly, bring her along for the ride.

Openers THEESatisfaction were a good selection for the show, even though I doubt most of those in attendance had no idea who they were. Carved out of R&B and hip hop, unlike their pop punk counterparts, the duo of Catherine Harris-White and Stasia Irons brought out good vibes and choreographed dance moves. Touring in support of their second release, EarthEE, the duo provided a good atmosphere, just as they did when they opened for Shabazz Palaces the last time they were in town. By time Sleater-Kinney took the stage, the Granada was packed to the capacity and buzzing with energy. Weiss, Brownstein and vocalist Corin Tucker took the stage, along with touring member Katie Harkin, and jumped into "Price Tag", the opening song to their 2014 release, No Cities to Love. Unlike most reunions, Sleater-Kinney were touring around their release, playing a bulk of the album, while sprinkling their most popular songs into the mix. It wasn't a pure greatest hits setlist. But make no mistake, this show was a whole of fun. While there was minimal banter, there was a whole lot of guitars, wailing vocals, and an electric feeling throughout the venue. From "Oh!" to "Modern Girl", the show was packed full of excitement and endless appreciation from the crowd. It was an awesome performance by awesome musicians. My wife would agree. Photos of the show are below:

THEESatisfaction