With an arsenal of candid lyrics, the sounds of a talented band
and fashion meant for strip teasing, Liz Phair gave a confident
performance at The Pageant Tuesday night. Phair proved that she has
reconciled her newfound pop stardom with her past as an indie
queen.
Though Phair has gone blonder and a bit more bubble gum with her
2003 self-titled release, songs from her first three records
dominated the set. Older hits like “Supernova” and “Polyester
Bride” were interspersed with favorites of greater depth and
emotion, like “Mesmerizing” and “Divorce Song.” The new radio hits,
like “Extraordinary,” were spliced in between slow-cooked ballads,
such as “Uncle Alvarez.”
Taking the stage with four bandmates, Phair was immediately
provocative in a transparent, fuschia shirt. Murmurs rising up from
the crowd regarding Phair’s flesh were soon washed over by the
equally revealing opening tune, “Flower.” Delivering lyrics with
her deadpan lilt–“your lips a perfect suck-me size”–Phair created
as much sexual imagery with her words as she did with her
near-nudity.
Usually playing her guitar, though sometimes merely straddling
it, Phair seemed comfortable navigating through pop-sensible hits
like “Why Can’t I” and back through the sardonic tones of “Mary.”
Both these songs were sturdy live, with Phair plucking the guitar
at her whim, as her band bolstered her sound.
The sound itself was flawed, with Phair’s headset microphone
lending a tinny ring to her vocals, but Phair’s stage presence and
biting lyrics outshone the technical issues.
Alone under the spotlight with her electric guitar, the truest
moment of the show came as Phair strummed through “Hurricane
Cindy,” a rarity from the Whitechocolatespaceegg era. The song’s
rolling lyrics and simple guitar changes are the bedrock of a great
Phair tune. A quiet command over songs about recklessness and
self-doubt is Phair’s truest trait.
She ended the show with a smashing rendition of The Cars’ “Just
What I Needed,” which transitioned seamlessly into “F***k and Run,”
a dry, chorus-driven favorite that relies on wit and
expletives.
The two opening acts, Wheat and Rachael Yamagata, threatened
early on to overshadow Phair. Wheat’s performance was occasionally
intriguing, with offerings that ranged from stabs at pop songs to
their usual rock stylings. Their style smacked of Jane’s Addiction,
but without as much brain damage. The highlight of their set came
at the end, with “I Met a Girl,” the first track off their new
album, Per Second, Per Second, Per Second … Every Second.
The most raw, soulful experience of the evening came early on,
with Rachael Yamagata’s commanding The Pageant into near silence.
It’s rare to witness any performer, let alone an opener, with a
voice strong and versatile enough to quiet a Pageant audience.
Yamagata sang selections from her forthcoming album, Happenstance,
which will be released on June 8 .
A 20-year-old with the vocal maturity of a 35-year-old, Yamagata
was sparsely accompanied through her folksy, alt-rock songs, but
her voice trilled, flipped and soared above the piano and
guitar.
