See Milwaukee’s SistaStrings perform with Brandi Carlile on ’Saturday Night Live’

Piet Levy, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
·2 min read
Milwaukee sisters Chauntee (far left) and Monique Ross (second from right) perform with Brandi Carlile (far right) and Kyleen King at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on August 5, 2022. The Ross sisters, now based in Nashville with their own band SistaStings, play violin and cello in Carlile's band.
Milwaukee sisters Chauntee (far left) and Monique Ross (second from right) perform with Brandi Carlile (far right) and Kyleen King at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on August 5, 2022. The Ross sisters, now based in Nashville with their own band SistaStings, play violin and cello in Carlile's band.
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Brandi Carlile delivered a stunning rendition of one of her signature anthems, "The Story," on "Saturday Night Live" this weekend.

And in turn, she added another incredible chapter to the story of her two newest band members, Milwaukee-born sisters Chauntee and Monique Ross.

More:Milwaukee's SistaStrings is playing 'Saturday Night Live' with Brandi Carlile. Here's who they are, and how it happened.

More:Here are 19 Wisconsinites who have guest-hosted or performed on 'Saturday Night Live,' including J.J. Watt, Bob Uecker and Willem Dafoe

First making waves in Milwaukee's music scene eight years ago as SistaStrings (Chauntee plays violin, Monique cello and they both sing), the Ross sisters joined Carlile's band earlier this year after making waves in Nashville in 2020.

2022 has been one of the most accomplished years of Carlile's career, and certainly for SistaStrings. The Ross sisters witnessed the historic return of Joni Mitchell from the stage of the Newport Folk Festival this summer, performed live on the Grammys and for a live IMAX concert, and played scores of large venues across North America, including Madison Square Garden and Carlile's first arena show in Milwaukee at Fiserv Forum. (They also toured with rising singer-songwriter Allison Russell this year, including performances on "Ellen" and "Jimmy Kimmel Live.")

And on Saturday, SistaStrings backed Carlile on "Saturday Night Live," an episode hosted by comedy legends Steve Martin and Martin Short. Carlile's four-piece string section was a star attraction for her first of two performances on the show Saturday, with the Ross sisters, Kyleen King (viola) and Josh Neumann (cello) tenderly playing underneath Carlile's cracking voice at the song's start, and providing cathartic sweep leading into the epic song's rocking bridge.

You can see the performance below. And you can next see SistaStrings in their hometown on Jan. 25 at the Pabst Theater, performing with fellow Milwaukee native Peter Mulvey, behind their excellent collaborative album "Love Is the Only Thing," as the opening act for Ani DiFranco.

Contact Piet at (414) 223-5162 or plevy@journalsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter at @pietlevy or Facebook at facebook.com/PietLevyMJS.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Watch Milwaukee band SistaStrings play with Brandi Carlile on ‘SNL’