The Corin Tucker Band at The Satellite

Corin Tucker with Sara Lund at The Satellite

The Satellite was shockingly uncrowded on Thursday night, but Corin Tucker’s new group proceeded to rip it apart anyway. Just like the Crazy Band (ex-Mika Miko) ripped up newspapers and scattered crumpled bits all over the stage as if it were a giant hamster cage beforehand–although I arrived only in time to watch the group and its friends clean up the carnage.

Corin Tucker Band at the Satellite (May 5, 2011)

While it would be easy to compare the gig to any of the great Sleater-Kinney shows I’ve attended, seeing the band for the first time reminded me most of “solo” Paul Weller. Although their music isn’t super similar, she and the ex-leader of The Jam and The Style Council left hugely influential and amazing bands and proceeded to play subtler but just as intense and powerful music. Even moreso, while fans of the old band may go out to see its ex-singer do his or her thing, they will be blown away by the new unit’s intelligent chops and tightness.

Seth Lolinczi of The Corin Tucker Band and Golden Bears

You can tell the lineup has been playing out and forming real connections and chemistry. Seth Lorinczi of Golden Bears not only shreds but plays tweaks the guitar strings, knobs, and pedals to make pure, beautiful noise that supplements Tucker’s axework (and vocals) in a totally different style than the harsh, dueling guitars (and vocals) in Sleater-Kinney. Mike Clark, guitarist for The Jicks? Equally rad on bass. Sara Lund, who I last saw with Unwound, will always be a badass behind the drum kit, too. Don’t get your hopes up for a reunion,  the percussionist told my friend Ben later on, not even for the Jabberjaw show that’s in the works…

Corin Tucker Band at the Satellite

The debut album that The Corin Tucker Band released last year was an honest, smart, and heavy piece of work, but the songs sounded even better, stronger, and tighter live. In fact, although Sleater-Kinney is one of my all-time favorite bands, I listen to 1,000 Hours more often than I do Dig Me Out or Call The Doctor these days. Maybe it’s because although I fully followed and supported the Riot Grrrl movement, I could never actually consider myself one of them. And maybe it doesn’t hurt that I’ve pretty much been a stay-at-home dad since the last print issue of Giant Robot rolled off the presses, and am inspired that Tucker carries on so perfectly and awesomely after taking a sabbatical from music to concentrate on raising her kids. Or maybe it’s just because she’s still making rad music, period.

This is the band’s prettiest song. It’s been stuck in my head since the show…