Sleater-Kinney Bewitch NYC’s Hammerstein Ballroom with Glorious Riffs (SHOW REVIEW/PHOTOS)

Three consecutive days of gloomy rain gave way to a dark and stormy Halloween night, when Sleater-Kinney conjured their latest acclaimed album The Center Won’t Hold and throwback tracks alike. Here are five things that stood out from the spooky set for a bewitched NYC crowd at Hammerstein Ballroom:

Opener Joseph Keckler Casts a Spell

As opening act Joseph Keckler introduced his cover of “I Put a Spell on You”, he explained that “it should maybe only be sung today of all days.” Nestled behind a keyboard alone onstage, the singer delivered dramatic piano flourishes to accompany his rich, sonorous voice. Elsewhere, he unleashed his deep, operatic singing to weave surreal, wry tales about relapsing into goth style and having a telephone conversation hijacked by demons. 

Corin Tucker Brings Trick-or-Treating to Hammerstein Ballroom

Sleater-Kinney were definitely in the festive spirit. Faux cobwebs were strung across the stage, and singer/guitarist Corin Tucker arrived donning a black, shimmering witch’s hat. After rocking through the rollicking “LOVE”, singer/guitarist Carrie Brownstein paused to acknowledge some of the best costumes they spied from the stage — looking at you, “very tall baby”. Tucker also got in on the fun by tossing cauldrons of candy to the folks in the front. (“And I’ll be handing out dental floss,” Brownstein quipped.) The band also let the audience know that there were representatives giving out treats while raising awareness for sweet causes like registering to vote and supporting LGBTQ rights.  

Other Halloween Treats

Songs like “RUINS”, “Animal” and “Bad Dance” have been in regular rotation on Sleater-Kinney’s latest tour. However, their foreboding lyrics were perfect for All Hallow’s Eve. “RUINS” saw the band bathed in blood-red lighting, as Brownstein headbanged over a droning riff and Tucker released a spine-tingling scream. “Animal” featured Tucker on lead vocal duties, one of the rare occasions she wasn’t also on guitar. Free to roam, Tucker ramped up her stage presence as she roared lines like “Now I can feel your fear / Your number’s up there is no place to hide.” And “Bad Dance” showcased both Brownstein and Tucker at the height of their vocal powers, as they joined forces over their eerie dueling guitar riffs. 

Encore I

Sleater-Kinney wrapped up the main portion of their set with the defiant “Entertain”. (As a side note, the track began with a fierce drum beat, handled admirably by Angie Boylan, playing in the place of Janet Weiss, who left the band earlier in the summer.) Brownstein jumped on the riser while tilting her guitar upward to raucous cheers from the crowd. 

After the band departed, Brownstein and Tucker quickly returned to the stage by themselves. With Brownstein on piano and Tucker on lead vocals, the duo showed they could dazzle in the quieter moments of the show as well, with a haunting rendition of “Broken”. “Start Together” and “Words and Guitar” followed, but closer “Modern Girl” was the real star of this portion of the set. Multi-instrumentalist Toko Yasuda’s work on the melodica helped bring this track to vivid life. And in one of the most memorable moments in the set, Brownstein stepped away from the mic, as hundreds sang along to the chorus. As the band ended on this high note, Tucker even mimicked flying away on a broomstick. 

Encore II

But like many horror movie franchises, there was another sequel in store. After another round of loud cheers, Sleater-Kinney rose again for a second encore. They kicked off their penultimate song, “Call the Doctor”, by helping crowd surf a giant inflatable spider across the floor. Between this and the true closer “Dig Me Out”, the band nodded toward longtime listeners with these deeper cuts from the ’90s. For a frenetic few minutes, the audience clapped and jumped along to the latter track’s anxious guitar riffs and Tucker’s howling vocals. As the house lights came on, the sight was anything but frightening — a sea of fans giving a massive standing ovation.