Home› The Porch

Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney discusses special guests at concerts (PJ mention)

Not PavedNot Paved Posts: 45
edited October 2008 in The Porch
Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney discusses the topic of special guests at concerts:
I've seen the special guest issue from all sides. When I toured with my band, we occasionally had musicians join us on stage. From a musician's perspective, bringing friends up to play on a song you've played thousands of times--or to augment a current cover tune in the set--not only kills the tedium of tour but infuses the song with a new dynamic, a fresh energy.... On the most basic level, it's fun--the song feels communal and shared.

I've also been a guest. And being the guest is a much more precarious position to be in. For instance, when my band opened for Pearl Jam, we would often join them on stage during their encores. In these instances, I felt like a home wrecker, intruding on their fans' love affair with the band--we were essentially destroying the moment and killing whatever imagined version of the song their fans had in their minds. (My image of us as ruinous was largely corroborated on Pearl Jam message boards, though it was not a feeling shared by all of their fans.)

I should mention that on that same tour, we all went to see U2 on a night off and Bono invited Eddie Vedder up on stage to sing a song. Even then, I didn't get the feeling that 100 percent of the U2 fans wanted to see Vedder up there, which goes to show you that for the most part, fans want their songs played their way. In other words, no guests; because a guest--no matter who it is--changes the song.

Her full thoughts: http://www.npr.org/blogs/monitormix/2008/10/the_specials.html
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • FahkaFahka Posts: 3,187
    haha well at least someone other than us reads all of our ramblings :D
  • Marie CurieMarie Curie Posts: 1,250
    Thanks for posting.
    And I never thought S-K ruined any song when they joined PJ on stage!
    “Life is life everywhere. Life is in ourselves and not outside us. There will be men beside me, and the important thing is to be a man among men and to remain a man always, whatever the misfortunes, not to despair and not to fall - that is the aim of life, that is its purpose.”
    Fyodor Dostoyevsky
  • BlackCorduroyBlackCorduroy Posts: 1,374
    She actually put it really well. I wouldn't necessarily say it kills the song entirely (because the band always seems to have a lot of fun with their guests), but I'd usually rather hear just Eddie sing Fortunate Son, RITFW, etc. There are some exceptions though. On that tour, Sleater Kinney really added to Harvest Moon. And on Eddie's solo tours, Liam was great when he joined.
  • SamSam Posts: 45
    I love it when PJ has guest play with them. She was right it does add energy to the show.

    Who should play with PJ on their next tour? Maybe Chris Cornell.
  • PJ_LukinPJ_Lukin Posts: 2,049
    It isn't Carrie, it is Corin. An additional instrument or background vocal is one thing, but Corin has a rather unique voice that definitely takes a song in a different direction.
    ~!~ Peace ~!~ Love ~!~ Pearl Jam ~!~
  • RiotAct10RiotAct10 Posts: 1,618
    I think for the most part she nailed it. And like someone said, there are exceptions, for instance I love the Kissimmee '04 version of Timeless Melody with Ben from Death Cab for Cutie. At the same time though, I went to the Toledo show that year, and almost felt cheated. I felt cheated that Neil Young stole 35-60 minutes away from what I thought would be a pure Pearl Jam expereince.

    And thats crazy! Who gets upset that they get to see fucking Neil Young jam with your favorite bands, including seeing them play one of my favorite songs of his (cortez)? But, like she said, I wanted the show and the songs played my way, and when that didn't happen, I was a little disapointed, even though I should have been thrilled about the once in a lifetime experience I just had.
    words seem so out of place.

    8.21.00 Columbus | 6.24.03 Columbus | 7.9.03 NYC | 10.2.04 Toledo | 9.11.05 Kitchener | 5.20.06 Cleveland | 8.5.07 Chicago | 5.6.10 Columbus | 5.7.10 Noblesville | 5.9.10 Cleveland | 9.3.11 East Troy | 9.4.11 East Troy | 7.19.13 Chicago | 10.11.13 Pittsburgh | 10.1.14 Cincinnati | 4.8.16 Ft. Lauderdale | 4.9.16 Miami | 8.8.18 Seattle | 8.10.18 Seattle | 9.26.21 Dana Point | 10.1.21 Dana Point | 10.2.21 Dana Point | 9.16.22 Nashville | 9.17.22 Louisville | 9.18.22 St. Louis | 9.2.23 St. Paul | 9.15.23 Ft. Worth | 6.22.24 Dublin | 8.26.24 Noblesville
    6.26.11 Detroit (EdVed) | 9.23.17 Louisville (EdVed) | 9.25.21 Dana Point (EdVed) | 10.01.22 Dana Point (EdVed) | 2.6.22 Newark (EdVed)
  • Guitarhero27Guitarhero27 Posts: 2,146
    RiotAct10 wrote:
    I think for the most part she nailed it. And like someone said, there are exceptions, for instance I love the Kissimmee '04 version of Timeless Melody with Ben from Death Cab for Cutie. At the same time though, I went to the Toledo show that year, and almost felt cheated. I felt cheated that Neil Young stole 35-60 minutes away from what I thought would be a pure Pearl Jam expereince.

    And thats crazy! Who gets upset that they get to see fucking Neil Young jam with your favorite bands, including seeing them play one of my favorite songs of his (cortez)? But, like she said, I wanted the show and the songs played my way, and when that didn't happen, I was a little disapointed, even though I should have been thrilled about the once in a lifetime experience I just had.


    hehe I know what you mean....and someone on the boards once said..."it's like going to church and god shows up" which is a great analogy, but i totally get your drift at the same time haha
    9/29/96, 8/29/98, 9/8,11/98, 7/28/99, 8/23,24,25/00, 10/13/00, 4/15/03, 4/30/03, 7/8,9,12,14/03, 10/1/04, 9/30/05, 10/1/05, 5/4,5,13,27,28/06, 6/1,3/06, 6/19,20,22,24,25,27/08, 7/1/08, 8/4,5,7,16/08, 8/21/09, 10/27,28,30,31/09, 5/15,17,18,20,21/10, 9/2/12, 10/18,19,21,22,25/13
  • CitizenRickCitizenRick Posts: 1,079
    Marie Curie wrote:
    Thanks for posting.
    And I never thought S-K ruined any song when they joined PJ on stage!

    Hunger Strike? (easter egg on LATG)
    "Had my eyes peeled both wide open, and I got a glimpse...of my innocense, got back my inner sence, baby got it...still got it"
  • Rhinocerous SurpriseRhinocerous Surprise Posts: 4,423
    CitizenRick wrote:
    Hunger Strike? (easter egg on LATG)
    I thought that was excellent. Certainly better than that chick from Wolfmother.
    Smokey Robinson constantly looks like he's trying to act natural after being accused of farting.
  • Marie CurieMarie Curie Posts: 1,250
    CitizenRick wrote:
    Hunger Strike? (easter egg on LATG)

    It was better than Chris Cornell in 2003!
    “Life is life everywhere. Life is in ourselves and not outside us. There will be men beside me, and the important thing is to be a man among men and to remain a man always, whatever the misfortunes, not to despair and not to fall - that is the aim of life, that is its purpose.”
    Fyodor Dostoyevsky
  • Larry ZisstansLarry Zisstans Posts: 167
    Rhinocerous Surprise wrote:
    I thought that was excellent. Certainly better than that chick from Wolfmother.

    every once in a while, a post makes me laugh really hard. thanks for this one Sur Rhino.
    The world is like a ride in an amusement park, and when you choose to go on it you think it's real because that's how powerful our minds are. The ride goes up and down, around and around, it has thrills and chills, and it's very brightly colored, and it's very loud, and it's fun for a while. Many people have been on the ride a long time, and they begin to wonder, "Hey, is this real, or is this just a ride?" And other people have remembered, and they come back to us and say, "Hey, don't worry; don't be afraid, ever. Because this is just a ride." And we...kill those people. "Shut him up! I've got a lot invested in this ride, shut him up! Look at my furrows of worry, look at my big bank account, and my family. This has to be real." It's just a ride. But we always kill the good guys who try and tell us that, you ever notice that? And let the demons run amok? But it doesn't matter, because it's just a ride. And we can change it any time we want. It's only a choice. No effort, no work, no job, no savings of money. Just a simple choice, right now, between fear and love. The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your doors, buy guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love instead see all of us as one. Here's what we can do to change the world, right now, to a better ride. Take all that money we spend on weapons and defenses each year and instead spend it feeding and clothing and educating the poor of the world, which it would pay for many times over, not one human being excluded, and we could explore space, together, both inner and outer, forever, in peace.
    --Bill Hicks
  • iamicaiamica Posts: 2,628
    It can go either way. If it's a song they play every single show, like Baba or RIFW, then I'm all for bringing up guests. If it's a rare PJ only song, I'm going to be a little irritated.
    Chicago 2000 : Chicago 2003 : Chicago 2006 : Summerfest 2006 : Lollapalooza 2007 : Chicago 2009 : Noblesville (Indy) 2010 : PJ20 (East Troy) 2011 : Wrigley Field 2013 : Milwaukee (Yield) 2014 : Wrigley Field 2016
  • Two BirdsTwo Birds Posts: 256
    My friend and I had a conversation with Carrie at the Delta after the Kitchener show back in 05. She was actually sitting in the hotel hot tub and we joined her. We started talking about London which was next and how GREAT Kitchener had been and she started asking us questions about where we were from, did we see the opening band last night...and we said no and that's when she told us who she was...."oops embarrassed". But she was really really nice and said that's usually the way it is. I hadn't heard about Sleater Kinney until they toured with PJ that year and then it was too late. I was also at the TO show when Bono came on stage...knowing afterwards that U2 was there the whole time kind of made sense because I swear the boys were a little off all night. I think they were actually distracted having them their backstage or maybe it was all of the vodka they consumed the night prior.
    Peace,
    ________________________
    Too many shows but never enough!
    These guys are the fruit of the earth...
  • 3days3days Posts: 1,158
    Everybody is entitled to their opinions, but I can't see why people would object to a guest playing, or singing on any song. You're getting to see and hear a somewhat unique collaboration. Not all of them are out-of-this-world great, but it's kind of experimental and fresh. Even if it isn't all you hoped it would be, I think there's something to be said for just trying something different.
  • Two BirdsTwo Birds Posts: 256
    I concur.....that's what seeing "live" entertainment is all about.
    Peace,
    ________________________
    Too many shows but never enough!
    These guys are the fruit of the earth...
Sign In or Register to comment.