The year is 1995. I’m a 15 year-old that was just starting to figure out my musical tastes. I learned that MTV had a two hour-long program at midnight early Monday mornings, that aired “underground” music videos. (Underground is in quotes because, as a grown up, I’m aware that you couldn’t be that far underground to be shown on corporate television). Due to school getting in the way, I would set the VCR to record these videos to watch later. The music from these programs became the primary thing that encoded my tastes for the rest of my life. Two videos that I would rewind and re-watch incessantly, were Liz Phair’s “Never Said” and “Supernova.” 23 years later, I am finally fulfilling that dream of getting to experience this musician, who’s had such an intense effect on my development, perform a full-length concert.
Speedy Ortiz were the lucky band to get the opening slot on this tour, and they were about as perfect a choice as you could get. Their sound is a blend of heavy, almost funky, post-punk grooves, layered over fuzzed-out guitars that are simultaneously jarring and warm. Lead singer Sadie Dupius has a very particular intonation when she sings, it’s almost like she does a key switch mid-note. It’s very effective, sending chills down my spine at all the right moments.
During the set, Dupuis also mentioned a fundraiser they’re doing to raise money to buy copies of Shawna Potter’s “Making Spaces Safer” for venues around the globe. They are also donating a portion from funds from their Bandcamp page, including downloads of their cover of Liz Phair’s “Blood Keeper,” to this cause.
Phair & band started the show with a three-guitar assault on her hit “Supernova,” one of the most infectious guitar solos of the alternative-rock era. This set a tone that would last the whole night: a tribute, to the glory that is the electric guitar. Songs were played big, full, and most importantly, LOUD. This was especially notable when she pulled out songs from her landmark album, Exile In Guyville. Those songs on record, are sparse and very lo-fi. In this setting, those songs were given a fullness that was unexpected, and worked. “Never Said” became the massive pop sing-along it should have been all along. “Mesmerizing” became swirling psychedelic masterpiece. “Fuck & Run” became an arena-rock anthem. It was like hearing all of your favorite songs for the first time!
The non-Guyville material was also reinvented for this “big rock show” format. “Extraordinary” and “Why Can’t I,” from her 2003 self titled record, an album that many fans unfairly dismiss as her “pop” album, sounded much more urgent and alive in this setting. “Johnny Feelgood,” which was dedicated to Carnie Wilson of Wilson Phillips, felt like the crossover single it always should have been. And the sole new song in the set, “The Game,” came off as a return to her radically honest roots.
It’s great to see Liz Phair back on stage again. The world really needs a bona-fide, rock-n-roll hero right now, and Phair is the best person to fill that role.
