Sleater-Kinney at Market Hotel (December 16, 2015)

It was fitting that the end of Sleater-Kinney’s impressive 2015 return campaign was held at Market Hotel during the Brooklyn venues long-awaited re-opening. There was a time that I never thought I’d get to see a show from Sleater-Kinney or a show at Market Hotel again, so getting to see Sleater-Kinney welcome back Market Hotel was about as fitting of a comeback story as any.

Things got started with an experimental from former Sonic Youth member Lee Ranaldo (head to NYCTaper to hear a full recording of Ranaldo’s set) and from there the small also perfectly sized confines of Market Hotel were ready for the ladies of Sleater-Kinney to do some damage, and boy, did they ever.

Their set was even more fierce than the one I saw just a few days prior at Terminal 5. Unsurprisingly, the vibe and energy in the room felt like 100 times that of Terminal 5, as I was just a couple of feet away from both Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker as they did their thing, pummeling through new blood material from No Cities To Love, or classic anthems that felt as timely as ever. Fred Armisen once again came out to lead them through a cover of “Rock Lobster,” and even went for a mini crowd-surf that the crowd wasn’t ready for, and resulted in him crashing to the floor. All was good, as this was the sort of thing we all signed up for with a major rock act playing a returning DIY space.

In truth, this was a once in a lifetime sort of show that lived up to its promise and then some. I doubt I’ll ever be able to see Sleater-Kinney at such a tiny space again, but at least I have this memory to treasure.

Find some photos of both Sleater-Kinney and Lee Ranaldo posted below.

Sleater-Kinney Setlist:

1. Price Tag
2. Bury Our Friends
3. The End of You
4. Youth Decay
5. One More Hour
6. Fangless
7. Surface Envy
8. Get Up
9. Far Away
10. One Beat
11. A New Wave
12. All Hands on the Bad One
13. The Fox
14. Words and Guitar
15. Turn It On
16. Entertain
17. Jumpers

Encore:

18. Rock Lobster (The B‐52s Cover)
19. Call the Doctor
20. Dig Me Out

Lee Ranaldo: