Okay, so I went to see all three of the Liz Phair shows at the Metro in Chicago this weekend after already seeing her at the Bowery two weeks ago in New York and all I can say is bleh . . .
First of all, the show at the Bowery was much stronger. She seemed honestly excited to be there. She broke out into "Explain it to Me" seemingly because the mood struck her. It was obvious she didn't want to get off the stage. So I thought, wow, when she gets to Chicago she's really gonna let loose! Wrong!
The set lists were the same as the Bowery show with the exception of there being no Explain it to Me (despite my pleading). There was very little banter with the audience. She did say it was good to be home. She also told an interesting vignette about coming to the Metro to see Big Black and that experience is what spawned "Glory." Which by the way, was the highlight of her set. With very little back-up and her still slightly off-kilter voice, her rendition of the song was quite haunting and I'd even say better than the recorded version.
She played Straford-on-guy by herself each night pretending it wasn't planned. The first two nights she called fans on the stage to sing Flower and the last night she played it by herself. But you know what? I was dead wrong, from now on invite someone to sing it with you. She just walked through it with no passion or meaning. Same goes with most of the old songs. Fuck and Run, Help Me Mary, 6'1'', Never Said . . . they were all sang with this big plastered smile on her face -- she might as well been doing Hanes commercials.
Anytime she had the chance to not play the guitar, she would take it, I almost got the impression she was annoyed having to hold it. By the third night she started putting it to her side during the new songs.
Now let me say, I am not against Liz Phair, I was very taken with the Bowery show, I think some of the songs on the new album are heartfelt, but the whole Chicago affair was vastly mediocre. As was the opening band . . . Wheat (bleh . . .).
As an aside, her parents were at the Friday show and they looked so conservative and cute, watching them watch their daughter was more interesting than watching her myself. And the lead singer of Smashing Pumpkins (Billy Corgan?) was there on Friday as well.
All in all, she needs to mix it up a bit, the falseness in her performance was overwhelming. No need to see her more than once. Maybe I'm just spoiled, after following The Breeders around all last summer, where every concert feels like a party in your friends basement, anything might seem less that spectacular.
What did everyone else think?
Sorry this review was so incomprehensible, but it's late and I just got off the plane.
If you want any specifics please ask.
james
Hi All,
I also went to all the Metro shows and was alittle taken back by the bad reviews. Maybe that's why I've waited to post anything. I'd never seen Liz before so maybe that explains why I didn't think the shows sucked! I thought that the actual news paper reviews were ludicris. Again these critics act like they have to brutalize her because at some point in there past relationship with Liz she chose to Fuck there dog instead of them.
I thought all 3 shows were good! I went with differant people all 3 nites and they all seem to enjoy it. My husband said , after reading the reviews, that the only thing he thought was off was that it all sounded pretty much like it did on the cd's. Saturday seemed like it had the most enrgy. All the old songs sounded good. I hated Favorite Underware! Just a stupid song all together. I was disappointed that she didn't mics up the set a bit as I'm sure she knew people would be there for more than 1 show. She could have interacted alittle more with the crowd especially since it was her hometown. Then again with the critics the way they are towards her in Chicago it wouldn't have mattered what she did they still would have ripped her to bits.
Just one girls thoughts!!!
Lor
Sorry this is so late...
We got downtown around 5:15, and there were already about 15-20 people lined up outside. After grabbing a quick dinner, we walked over at about 5:45. I came with a friend who has only ever heard WCI. I was expecting us to be the youngest people there, but there were other people about our age and it seemed as if one girl was there with her mother, but she may have just been chatting with a stranger. We stood in line behind this really nice 30ish couple, and after hearing me ask my friend if she had any gum, the woman gave me a piece. Thanks, Gum Lady!
The gum couple was just behind the edge of the Metro, standing in the alley. Some Metro workers moved them and everyone behind them, to the other side of the alley. The Gum Lady joked that she was now first in line - in the second line. About ten after six, they started letting people in.
I had brought along the booklets to Exile and LP, wishfully hoping that Liz would sign them. I knew that there would be the buy-the-CD-get-15-seconds-with-Liz thing, but I guess I was a little bit pumped from Emil's (I think...) talk of dueting with Liz. Obviously, she didn't sign it, but I'm not broken up by that.
My friend and I were concert virgins; the only other concert we had attended was Christina Aguleria, pre-skank. We stayed on the stage floor, and made small talk with a couple of people around us. There were very few people in at the time; we were able to stand in the third row, about 20 feet from where Liz would later sing. However, within a half hour, the place was packed. Two guys in the 30s were standing next to me, and I heard one of them mention that they had visited Bliss and Fetish. I'm not sure if the webmaster is on this list, but I thought it was pretty awesome that someone had gone to the site. I later talked to them about Liz touring with the Flaming Lips after some Lips music came on the speakers while they were setting up. One of the guys had been to the Tower in-store signing, and he told me a bit about that. It was so awesome to finally speak to fellow Liz fans; I've spent years telling people about my favorite singer, and no one else ever knew who she was.
I couldn't understand one damn word the lead singer of Wheat sang. As one of the guys standing next to me pointed out, he looked a bit like David Spade, and I thought he had Spade's mannerisms down also mainly, annoying as hell. He kept trying to make chit-chat with the audience, but by the third song, I wanted him to shut up and Liz to come out and play already. He also kept name-checking Liz. (I know you all are exited [sic] that Liz's coming. 'C'mon guys, it's Saturday night! Liz will be mad at us if we don't pump you up. etc.)
Halfway into Wheat's set, two 15-16ish girls came struggling through the crowd. I thought they were trying to make their way to a bathroom or something, but they were just changing spots. They took whatever little breathing space I had, and kept putting their arms up and dancing through both Wheat and Liz's set, dancing that would have been found annoying and inappropriate at a Destiny's Child's concert.
Liz opened with 6'1", which was not a surprise. (In fact, none of her set list was a surprise.) While making Liz compilations, I've found it impossible to *not* begin with it, and still have a good CD. She then played Polyester Bride, and I then promptly forgot the order of the songs she played next. Of course, after the show, the second I turned my back to leave, stage techs gave away some set lists. For those keeping track, Liz wore this black/purple top, short-shorts, and really high heels. (One of the annoying girls shouted out, "Where did you get your shoes?" but Liz didn't answer.) She really has legs to be jealous of.
Liz had virtually no stage banter; it was as if she was trying to balance out the guy from Wheat. I thought she would name-check Chicago, which she sort of did by saying that she might never leave, which drew a huge "whoo!" from the crowd. She also told the Steve Albini/Glory story, which was the longest she talked to the crowd. She made a cute suburban crack, which I took as a shout-out, while setting up the Glory story. Paraphrasing, she said she used to go to see bands like Big Black, and smoke, trying to adopt an air of not being from the suburbs.
I hope the Help Me Mary she played wasn't the revamped awesome version that some of you praised. Personally, I thought the way it was performed was weak. It seemed to lose all of its charm, a disappointment, because I've always enjoyed the song. She also played Stratford-on-Guy solo, while Dino was switching instruments. I'm a huge Stratford fan, it was the first Liz song I loved. However, I really think the drums make the song, so hearing it only with a guitar wasn't as great. The only other real song disappointment was that she didn't make eye contact during Flower at all. It was very strange. Although she spoke very little to the audience, she at least made eye contact through all her songs. During arguably her most famous song, however, she just stared above the main floor crowd - but not high enough to be looking at the balcony audience. I thought, "Is she really so sick of this song that she just wants to get it over with?" Strangely enough, she seemed fine during F&R, her last song. But it was awesome to hear a packed room yell "I want to be your blowjob queen." (Apologies to those who don't like that Flower has turned into a sing-a-long.) I glanced at my friend at this point, and even though I had warned her of Liz's lyrics, citing Flower and HWC specifically, she still looked shocked. Not shocked enough that she never wants to hear Liz again, though. She wants me to burn a Liz CD, and include those songs specifically.
For those curious about merchandise: there were several (4 or 5?) Liz t-shirts. I didn't get a good look at them, however, because the little booth selling them was packed. I bought a pink t-shirt with maroon sleeves. Screened in white onto the shirt is Liz's upper body, the picture used is the cover of LP. The bit of hair that's in her face and part of her lip is also maroon. Her name is written in white letters next to the picture.
One more thing - James, if you and others were still planning on shouting out requests, I heard you scream for May Queen. I looked over, but the crowd was too dense to see who did it.