Sleater-Kinney's Last Hurrah

Well, it's a week after the fact, but I think Sleater-Kinney's "final show" (I don't believe for a second that they won't re-unite for a reunion tour, or perhaps the odd benefit show, at some point in the future) warrants at least a brief post.

The show was the second of two nights at the Crystal Ballroom. I'm told it sold out in less than ten minutes (I got my tickets on Craigslist; thank you Melena P!). A local band called the Thermals opened, which was a pleasant suprise, as I've been meaning to get out and see this band for a while. I wasn't blown away, but there were some pretty impressive moments.

Next up was Eddie Vedder, who kept it to just a couple of songs. The first was a version of Phil Ochs' Here's to the State of Mississippi, modified lyrically to reflect our current state of affairs. The second was a ukelele number with Janet Weiss joining in (on vocals, not drums).

And then the ladies went on. They opened with The Fox (I had a feeling that would be the case) and continued for a good hour and a half. They leaned pretty heavily on material from the last couple records during the set, but in their two encores they broke out some older stuff, notably (for me, anyway) Milkshake & Honey. All told, they just absolutely tore the place apart for a little over two hours, and went out on a good note. Great show, and of course a bittersweet moment in Rock & Roll history.

Janeane had a good time, too.