Live in LA

Photos by Wild Don LewisSLEATER-KINNEY at the Henry Fonda Theater, June 8 "I could go crazy trying to explain how songs fall from the sky into our laps," wrote Sleater-Kinney's thunderous drummer, Janet Weiss, on the band's official blog a day before their latest and finest album, TheWoods,hit the racks. Well, I could go crazy trying to explain why L.A. audiences are afraid to rip shit up to unfamiliar songs that do the very same. Sleater-Kinney was onat the Fonda, cranking through the mind-melting new anthem "Entertain," the heart-wrenching "Jumpers," the 11-minute epic "Let's Call It Love" (with its coda of sorts, "Night Light") and more, while the greater part of the throng just sat back and waited for "You're No Rock 'N Roll Fun." Ax goddess Carrie Brownstein — the second coming of Pete Townshend, all the way down to the shredded solos, indefatigable energy and Gibson SG — felt compelled to point out the problem: "This side's thinking, while this side's feeling," she cracked, halving the audience into those who came to rock and those who came to . . . I don't know. Sleep? Look good? Whatever the motivation, they eventually got jumping once S.K. trolled through its incendiary back catalog and gave old fans what they wanted, which was basically DigMeOut's"Words and Guitar," OneBeat's"Oh!" and "Combat Rock," and even Richard and Linda Thompson's 1974 classic "I Want To See the Bright Lights Tonight." Sure, everyone was screaming for the women to come back at the end, but it was too late. Corin Tucker's cathartic howls and seductive coos, Weiss' powerhouse percussion and Brownstein's bugged-out energy were put to the test on TheWoods,and if more of the audience would've done some homework, they would've been treated to a nonpareil performance. As it was, they were party to only an amazing show. Good thing S.K. is a touring machine: You can always catch this band on the rebound. Slackers.

—Scott Thill

JOHN DOE at King King, June 8 Even in Hollywood, it takes a lot to fill a club like King King at midnight on a Wednesday — doubly so when your fans skew more to their 40s than 20s. But X front man John Doe drew the crowd and kept them in high spirits in an unofficial record-release party for his latest solo album, ForeverHasn'tHappenedYet.Granted, Doe fans tend to be true believers, people who'd fall on their sword for a guy who's shown as much integrity over the last 30 years as anyone in the music industry. For turning out, fans got a 20-song set that covered most of the new album, plus favorites like the Knitters-era "The Call of the Wreckin' Ball," X classics "White Girl" and "Poor Girl," and one of Doe's great under-heralded efforts, "Cyrano de Berger's Back." Foreverisn't a rollicking disc: There's a lot of mood, melancholy, even anger. And where his first couple solo albums produced plenty of uptempo, immediately likable melodies and hooks, Forevertakes its time, paying more attention to atmosphere. Fans at the show connected with it, but seemed to appreciate all the more the sing-along favorites Doe interspersed in his performance. Particularly strong was "White Girl," in which guest singer Cindy Wasserman filled the Exene Cervenka role. Responding to the crowd's enthusiasm, Doe quipped, "I like X too! That's a pretty good band!" Doe's voice seems to have limbered up some since the filming of X:LiveinLosAngeles,the concert DVD shot last year at House of Blues; Wednesday, he showed more comfort with the higher ranges than displayed in that first-rate film and accompanying CD. For those seeking still more John Doe, keep your eyes open for a new album from the Knitters, X's folk alter ego, scheduled for a July 12 release.

—Ben Sullivan