As the old adage goes, father time is undefeated. Very rarely do bands maintain success for three decades, or even one for that matter. Countless times we’ve seen artists explode onto the scene only to disappear a short while after. However, there appears to be one artist withstanding the test of time, and proving that father time may be receiving his comeuppance: Sleater-Kinney. The band had to adjust to the departure of longtime member Janet Weiss in 2019, and they appear to be doing so seamlessly. 

One of the ways in which bands must adapt to maintain success over time and after departures of significant members is by keeping their performances and image as fresh as possible (like Death Cab for Cutie following the departure of Chris Walla). Nearing the release of their album entitled Little Rope in January of 2024, Sleater-Kinney took to Jimmy Kimmel Live to perform their new single, “Say it Like You Mean It.” What made this performance so special was working alongside an unexpected partner: Fred Armisen.

While we’ve seen Fred Armisen have a historic run on SNL! and working alongside bands such as the 8G Band and Trenchmouth, the audience was blessed with the collab we didn’t know we needed. Sleater-Kinney was sharp, playing melodic riffs and belting out heartfelt lyrics such as “This goodbye hurts when you go.” Armisen joined in nearly halfway through, jovially slapping the tambourine against his wrist in unison with the rhythm