Staff Blog
Liz Phair, TLA, 8/27
posted by lori hill
You said things I wouldn't say.
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| photo | Lori Hill |
It
was truth in advertising. Liz Phair and three anonymous bandmates (she
even forgot one of their last names — ouch) walked out on stage and
played Exile in Guyville, all 18 songs from start to finish, to
mark the album’s 15th anniversary. And that’s kind of how the show was
going — smoothly, but a little uninterestingly. Then came “Canary,”
eight songs in, and you remembered that Phair ‘s voice — part husky
come-hither and part apathetic drone — is not that bad. The song was
pretty perfect, and the moment when the show sort of hit its stride.
The classics came fast and furious: “Mesmerizing,” “Fuck and Run,”
“Divorce Song,” “Strange Loop.” Early in the show Phair put out a call
for a woman to come up and sing the infamous “Flower” with her. (Maybe
she feels a little silly doing it herself now?) When the time came, a
guy offered, and she said, “Ah fuck it, come on up.” He nailed it. A
so-so song from her forthcoming album, “Chopsticks,” and “Polyester
Bride” served as an encore.
