Photos by Andrew St. Clair
When it comes to shredding, Marnie Stern is a true guitar hero. Along with her kickass band, Marnie played Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg on April 11th, in support of her excellent new album The Chronicles of Marnia. Before their show, I got to hang out while Marnie, bassist Nithin Kalvakota and drummer Joe Wong went through their soundcheck, broke in Rose, their brand new tour manager, and played with Marnie’s very cute dog Fig (who happens to be featured on the new album’s cover).
On stage, Marnie is a monster virtuoso on guitar. Her finger-tapping style of playing is reminiscent of Eddie Van Halen and Joe Satriani, and it’s thrilling to see live. As a bonus, Marnie’s stage banter with Nithin and Joe is just priceless. Funny, raunchy, but somehow charming, the penis/vagina talk alone is worth the price of admission. After the show, SNL/Portlandia star Fred Armisen came backstage to visit (Marnie and Fred are neighbors).
In related news, as part of her “Who Gives a Hoot ’13″ tour, Marnie Stern will be returning to NYC on June 29th to take part in the 3rd Annual 4Knots festival along with Kurt Vile & The Violators, The Men, and Parquet Courts.
Photography Note: The entire set was shot on film. Part of the soundcheck was shot with Ilford Professional B&W ISO 3200 and Kodak Portra 800. Marnie’s set was shot on Portra 800. Some of the backstage shots were with a Fuji Instax.