Sleigh Bells
Setlist
- Badly
- Infinity Guitars
- Justine Go Genesis
- Wanna Start a Band?
- Rion Rhythm
- Kids
- Locus Laced
- Comeback Kid
- SWEET75
- A/B Machines
- I Can Only Stare
- Bitter Rivals
- This Summer
- Rill Rill
Encore
- Pulse Drips Quiet
- Crown on the Ground
Review
After nearly three years, noise-pop masters Sleigh Bells returned to Paradise Rock Club in Boston in support of their new and 6th studio album Becky Bunky Birthday Boy [Mom +Pop] released after a pandemic-enforced break, supported by Long Island based alternative supergroup, Atomic Life and Ctrl-Alt-Pop rapper Sophie Hunter.
Sleigh Bells, consisting of co-founders vocalist Alexis Kraus and guitarist/producer Derek Miller and joined live by keyboardist Kate Steinberg and drummer Chris Hornbrook are a force of nature live, buffeting the audience with Miller’s hardcore-driven guitar and Kraus’ angelic yet powerful siren-song vocals and are not to be missed. One of the rare bands that sound just as good, if not better live, they favor smaller venues where Kraus uses her incredible stage-presence and ironically soft-spoken charisma to interact, sometimes literally face-to-face with the crowd. Several times throughout the set, she limberly climbed over stage barricades to wade through without missing a note, all while venue security looked on with I-really-wish-she-would-stop-doing-that expressions and muttering into walkie-talkies trying to keep an eye on the wayward songbird.
Derek Miller, for his part keeps mostly to himself on-stage, only speaking to ask the guitar levels increased, and breaking into an impromptu riff of “I Got Sunshine” when introduced by Kraus. The duo has palpable brother/sister chemistry that makes the dichotomy of opposite stage presence work perfectly.
The song selection was well-balanced across their song catalog, although favoring tracks from Treats – the debut album seeing its fifteen-year anniversary just a couple weeks prior. Sleigh Bells started with “Badly” for which Alexis Kraus developed a dance move for (and performed live) and then continued on alternating between material from the new album, Treats, and Texis. Of particular note Kraus introduced, “Bunky Pop” with equal parts heartbreak and warmth. Riz, Kraus’ dog passed away December 2023, and as she admitted on-stage, she still has the messages on her phone from her Vet and can’t bring herself to delete them. However, that melancholy note did nothing to reduce the energy and emotion of the main set which ended with arguably their most well-known “Rill Rill.”
The encore was one more track from the new album, ‘Pulse Drops Quiet,” followed by the pounding “Crown on the Ground.” Even during the encore, Kraus’ infectious energy couldn’t be contained, and she waved goodbye to people coming down from the balcony, and after the final notes died down, she was joined by Miller in shaking hands and fist bumping as many fans as possible.
The energy and sincerity of Sleigh Bells live is infectious and incomparable. They enjoy popularity enough that they could play larger concert halls (as evidenced by the crowds drawn during their 2024 Cool World performance) yet continue to tour in intimate venues where they can (and do) reach out and touch their fanbase. It’s evidence of a refreshing lack of ego and genuine love of what they do. And what they do is so very good.
Sleigh Bells live 2025 are Derek Miller (guitar), Alexis Kraus (Vocals), Kate Steinberg (Keyboards, backup vocals), Chris Hornbrook (drums).