I saw Liz Phair with Soccer Mommy last night and I have mixed feelings. The show was at The Sinclair, which is a relatively new venue outside Boston and is great for band shows. I saw Superchunk there a few months back and it was really good. However, Sophie performed alone, and she really got lost on that big empty stage. In addition, a lot of people were talking during the set (huge pet peeve of mine) and a single guitar and voice is not going to cut through that. If she's not going to be able to tour with a band, a venue like this is not the best. I noticed that Snail Mail is coming there soon and I wonder if she is also performing alone.
Liz came with a backup guitarist, but it still seemed wrong for the venue. She seems to be having a good time, but performing these stripped down old songs seems to be trying to recreate a feeling that was very unique to a time in the past, and it's not successful. Primarily it made me feel really, really old. I think this show would have been better in a theater, with Liz on a stool, maybe.
I don't know why I didn't get around to seeing Liz in the 90's, that's too bad.
