Kittie’s story is one of resistance and resilience. For Millennials like myself and Gen Z after me, Kittie is our Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. To be crowned a symbol of female empowerment in your teenage years is both an overwhelming accomplishment and one that painted a target on their backs in the misogynist metal scene of the early aughts. But led by the Lander sisters, Kittie persisted and proudly wore their crown until their hiatus after the tour cycle for I’ve Failed You ended. But their absence allowed their legacy to flourish, especially among younger listeners with no genre biases, spawning a new wave of fans (and bands) that admire their work. They were simply too ahead of their time 25 years ago, perhaps equally in ideology, as much as they were musically, and public perception has since caught up.
This headlining run is shockingly short – only six dates, as if they’re testing the waters, making sure people still want to come out. After the first successful night in Toronto, the New York date sold out. Three hours before doors, fans line up for a meet & greet in the blistering 90 degree sun. Those same fans lined up around the venue immediately after, waiting for doors.
With the explosive comeback that is Fire, their first record of new material since 2011’s I’ve Failed You, the New York show is packed. The Kittie diehards are out in full force, donning discontinued merch, brightly colored accessories, and more ripped clothing than a Hot Topic. But most importantly, a shocking number of younger fans are here – most of whom probably weren’t born before Spit was released. Shout out to the parents here tonight taking their kids to a metal show.
Kicking off the night is Stabbing, relative newcomers with a wildly dedicated following. Devoid completely of any melodic elements, we were off to a strong (and violent) start with the finest brutal death metal to emerge in recent years. With chunky, chromatic riffs and unintelligible gutturals, their relative heaviness makes them an interesting choice for the show. While this is clearly a new extreme for some Kittie fans, the room is moving, and people are getting onboard with their unyielding songwriting approach. The precision required to execute their material is off the charts, and they are incredibly tight and locked in on stage. This is a band that cares about their craft, and is leaving with new fans. Vocalist Bridget Lynch shared her love for Kittie onstage – a clear cut example of their influence coming full circle. Sharing the stage with Kittie tonight was a huge personal win for them.
Stabbing
Photo Credit: Tom Mis
Those who couldn’t stomach the extremity of Stabbing were given a reprieve in the form of Within the Ruins. A known entity in the genre, they were an absolute crowd-pleaser, igniting a ton of dormant crowd surfers. Despite playing live with only one guitar player, the tasteful use of backing tracks to bring the big Maiden-esqus harmonies to their live show worked exceptionally well. A different part of the audience lit up for this set, perhaps those who didn’t really understand the appeal of Stabbing. There was no shortage of breakdowns to get the circle pit open, and the room moving. The strays who didn’t make it in time for doors were pouring in now. We were about to uncomfortably test the sold-out capacity of Warsaw!
Within The Ruins
Photo Credit: Tom Mis
Despite some technical hiccups delaying their start, Unearth’s set kept the energy up. Though Trevor Phipps is no slouch behind the mic, bassist and backup vocalist Chris O’Tooles really kept the band grounded and locked in. The legacy of the Unearth name carried a ton of weight, especially with the millennials in the crowd. Their long history with Kittie made them a perfect fit for this show, at least on paper. The scene is tight, and these two bands ran in the same circles, despite not playing quite the same genres. That being said, the direct support slot for this show made for a tough crowd. It almost didn’t matter who played immediately before Kittie, the crowd (myself included) was far too restless to fully appreciate anything else.
Unearth
Photo Credit: Tom Mis
As soon as Unearth wrapped up, the crowd surged forward immediately, uncomfortably so. There was an energy there, reminiscent of early 2000’s festivals, including suffocating against the railing and cries for water (which security and Kittie handed out from the front of the stage). Before their set even began, Mercedes couldn’t even adjust bits of her kit with the lights down without the audience lighting up. There was a palpable sense of anticipation and sweat. And Kittie delivered.
With a ripping, career-spanning setlist, Kittie wasted no time. Opening with “Fire” and transitioning literally without pause into “I’ve Failed You,” the pace for the show was set immediately. They blazed through the setlist, and almost every song (other than the material from the latest album) was sped up significantly. Whether it was a new song like “One Foot in the Grave” or a classic like “Spit,” the crowd never stopped singing along. Nobody in the room missed the opening scream of COWARD at the beginning of “Spit” – one of the most incredible moments in live music I’ve ever experienced. The set was heavy on Oracle as well, and a lot of the highlights came from Until the End, including the heaviest rendition of “Look So Pretty” I’ve ever heard from the band. They also reintroduced “Into the Darkness” to their live show, after omitting it since 2008 or so. The newer material (all four singles from Fire were performed) absolutely held up against the older material.
Morgan’s clean vocals were stronger than they’ve been in years, backed up by both Mercedes and Tara. This was a well-oiled machine, from Mercedes’ kick work to Tara’s overhauled solos, and of course Ivy holding down the low end with grace and precision. The only underrepresented album was Funeral for Yesterday – it seems only the title track made the cut. In fairness, the band has distanced themselves a bit from that record over the years, but the title track is one of the few with completely clean vocals throughout the song giving fans an opportunity to sing along to the entire song.
By far the most melodic band of the night, Kittie didn’t beg for circle pits or crowd surfing. They didn’t need to, nor do they make more typical “mosh” music. Morgan’s connection to the audience was all the permission anyone needed to have a good time, whatever that meant for them. For some, it was crowd-surfing. For me, it was shredding my voice. There was a sly grin that bled into everything Morgan did on stage, and she smiled every time the band paused for a moment. It started out subtle – but over the course of the night, she fostered the positive vibe as the crowd caught on. Kittie is as happy as we are to be back – and hopefully is the start of a new era for the band, and we won’t have to wait another decade to see them on the road again.
Kittie
Photo Credit Tom Mis
