Notice the shaggy, unkempt, asymmetrical hair that makes for dramatic tossing and ideal headbanging. Marvel at authentically borrowed, time-honored rock theatrics: she kicks and jumps, swings a microphone at lightening speed, and demonstrates a vampy, stage-commanding strut. Wince with each piercing wail and bask in the glory of every honey-drenched harmony. Blame yourself for missing one of the most electric performances traveling through Boston this fall, as classic punk conventions received a wicked, ferocious blast of girl-group cool on Monday night at the Roxy — in the form of red-hot up-and-comers the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and headlining punk veterans Sleater-Kinney.
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs is the punk rock dream come true. Initially nothing more than an art-trash joke between buddies — legend-in-the-making lead singer Karen O., scuzzed-out blues guitarist Nick Zinner, and intensely hyper drummer Brian Chase had a desire for anything “hot and sexy” — this punk outfit has skyrocketed to the status of the Next-Big-Thing thanks to unbelievable international word-of-mouth. Blame it on the feral power of their feisty, fiery live shows.
Karen O., lead singer of the YYYs, gave her trademark crotchless fishnets and Scotch-taped pink plastic attire a well deserved vacation, opting instead for a weathered, trashy, white satin dress and one black biker glove. As she stomped onstage, seemingly zonked-out and hormonally-imbalanced, this punk vixen proved what audiences and critics have been raving about for months: Karen O. is what happened when mad scientists crossed Joan Jett’s attitude, Mick Jagger’s swagger, and Patti Smith’s fetishistic, blatant idol-worship with the elastic facial expressions and off-the-wall antics of Roger Rabbit on acid.
Though the band seems like an easily dismissed two-instrument affair, Karen O.’s formidable vocals are without a doubt the magical third ingredient to the successful chemistry of this bizarre trio. She snaps from syrupy sweet baby girl coo to maniacal, soul-shattering screech before you can raise your fist and exclaim “I love rock ‘ roll!” This forceful femme fatale never manages to upstage her bandmates, however. Nick Zinner’s deliciously dirty blues riffs more than compensate for the lack of a bassist, while Brian Chase’s scrapped-together drumming weaves each song into a tight, surprisingly danceable product.
Don’t succumb to the temptation to throw this hypnotic, innovative band into that stale, crowded New Garage — music journalism’s genre du jour. The Yeah Yeah Yeah’s rise above overhyped, reheated contemporaries like The Strokes or The Hives due to a fresh New Wave sensibility and a wickedly ironic sense of humor.
Oh, and unlike their peers, this band lives up to every bit of the buzz, delivering a live show that stuns and electrifies and cements the fact that the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have a truly promising future.
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs is undoubtedly indebted to Sleater-Kinney, a trio of punk priestesses who have lived and grown along with the ever-changing face of music. Guitarists/singers Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker, and drummer Janet Weiss blend fast, messy power chords with candy-coated vocal arrangements that would make Belinda Carlisle and her gang of Go-Go’s go gaga. These wizened grrrl-punk experts demonstrate through their polished yet feverishly energetic live performance that they have far outshined then-contemporaries like Luscious Jackson and Bikini Kill and The Breeders. Sleater-Kinney survived the hype to prove itself a relevant, truly amazing pop-influenced punk machine.
In concert, the intriguing women of Sleater-Kinney, dressed in business-like slacks and oxfords and skirts (oh my!), politely, almost unnoticeably take the stage. When the crowd of devout fans notices their minor punk deities onstage, the furies known as Sleater-Kinney whip up a sonic attack filled with Motown-influenced vocal flurries and gritty instrumental flourishes. They proceed with glee to buzzsaw through classics like “I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone,” as well as through new numbers like, “Oh!,” “Combat Rock.”
Maturity and wisdom, surely influenced by members of the band marrying and having children, seeped deliciously into their entire set. Sleater-Kinney, an indie punk girlie explosion that once reveled in three simple chords, has shown itself as a remarkably adaptable, important punk band.