Watch Portlandia‘s Feminist Bookstore Owners In An Epic ’90s Dance Battle
Portlandia’s season premiere, titled “The Story of Toni and Candace,” will break from the show’s usual sketch-oriented format to tell one narrative throughout the half-hour. Specifically, the episode fills in the backstory of how the two owners of the Women & Women First feminist book store, portrayed by Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen, first met. According to The Oregonian, “It turns out that Toni Rose (Brownstein) and Candace Devereaux (Armisen) first met in 1991, when both worked in New York as high-powered executives for, respectively, the bookstore chains B. Dalton and Crown Books.” Part of that origin story involves a dance battle set to early ’90s staples such as Snap’s “I’ve Got The Power.” We already knew she was an expert at guitar windmills, but it turns out Brownstein can really move! Watch part of the showdown below.
By the way, In Other Words, the actual bookstore that serves as the site of Women & Women First on the show, will remain open at least through this December after an Indiegogo campaign raised $15,000 in support.
Portlandia season 5 premieres this Thursday, 1/8, at 10PM on IFC.