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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Sleater-Kinney sells quick

Carolyn Lamberson

Sleater-Kinney, the all-girl punk band, burst out of Olympia in the 1990s and recorded seven albums before going on hiatus a decade ago. Since then, the band members have gone on to other projects, none as high profile as guitarist Carrie Brownstein, who co-created and starred in the IFC series “Portlandia.”

When news came out on Monday that Sleater-Kinney - which also features vocalist/guitarist Corin Tucker and drummer Janet Weiss - was releasing a new record in January and going out on tour, the world noticed. And even better for Spokane fans, that tour was starting right here, on Feb. 8, at the 1,400 seat Knitting Factory.

There was a small presale early in the week through the band’s website. It sold out in four minutes. Still, Knitting Factory manager Matt Judge said early in the week there would be ample tickets available when the show went on sale to the public this morning.

Maybe ample was too strong a word. In Judge’s words, the “system got CRUSHED by consumers!” By 10:20 a.m., there were only 100 seats left. Within a few minutes, those were gone, too. Judge called it a record selling show for Spokane’s Knitting Factory.

A few things may be at play. First off, the band hasn’t yet announced concert dates in Seattle and Portland – although as Brownstein tweeted on Monday, “Stay tuned for more tour dates!! Duh!” Still, it’s possible hardcore fans from the West Side are happy to trek to Spokane to see Sleater-Kinney. Add to that the fact that it’s the opening date on the tour, and that might pique people’s interest even more. Factor in Brownstein’s visibility, and it’s easy to see why this show sold so fast.

The new album, "No Cities to Love," comes out on Sub Pop Records on Jan. 19. The first single, "Bury our Friends," was released this week. Check out the video below: