Liz was mentioned in Entertainment Weekly's Best & Worst Music of 2005, specifically in the '05 Mixtape section: "10. Liz Phair "Count On My Love", "Somebody's Miracle" Crass. Commercial. Still yummy." |
"Everything To Me" - BILLBOARD ADULT TOP 40 Week ending Chart position Weeks on chart 8/28 39 1 9/4 36 2 9/11 32 3 9/18 32 4 9/25 30 5 10/2 32 6 10/9 32 7 10/16 31 8 10/23 28 9 10/30 29 10 11/6 27 11 11/13 31 12 11/20 33 13 11/27 38 14 "Everything To Me" - BILLBOARD POP 100 Week ending Chart position Weeks on chart 9/4 99 1
[Thanks to Billboard for the info.]
[Thanks to XRay on the Liz Phair Forum for the info.]
"It worked out perfectly. Right when I was done with Liz [Phair], Tyler [Hilton] started up. And, likewise, it flipped again."
You can view the entire article here.
[Thanks to Mix 104.1 for the info.]
[Thanks to Liz J from the Support System mailing list for the info.]
[Thanks to RollingStone.com / NBC.com for the info.]
[Thanks to Tom Conlon from the Support System mailing list for the info.]
Monday, October 10th Atlanta, GA - Roxy Theatre
Tuesday, October 25th Chicago, IL - Vic Theater
Wednesday, October 26th Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater
[Thanks to Brett Marlow for the links.]
[Thanks to LizPhair.com for the info and Brett Marlow for the reminder.]
[Thanks to Mariam Hamou for the info.]
[Thanks to CJ Megan for the info.]
[Thanks to Brett Marlow / LizPhair.com for the info.]
[Thanks to Brett Marlow / 100.3 The Peak for the info.]
[Thanks to Q98-Five for the info.]
Recollections from Jms1621:
There was hardly anyone there. I guess not many people knew about it. The stage was soo tiny, it looked more like a porch. She commented on it and said "maybe we should to a porch tour, and serve lemonade."
She also said she WAS going to be a baseball player for Halloween because the [Chicago] White Sox gave her a jersey, but didnt think it would be a good idea wearing a White Sox jersey in Texas. She looked absolutely beautiful and was very charming and funny.
You can see pictures from this performance at Mix 94.7's website.
[Thanks to Jms1621 on the Liz Phair Forum for the report and Mix 94.7 for the pictures.]
Doors opened at 7 PM. Surprisingly, the line was relatively short waiting to get into the venue (was this due to it being a weeknight show; a special election night in California -- thanks Arnold; several other concerts in the area with the likes of Paul McCartney, U2 and Jason Mraz; or some other reason...?). Australian chantuese Missy Higgins opened up for Liz (as she will for the duration of Liz's west coast leg of her tour). She did a 45 minute set, including "Ten Days", "Sound Of White", and "Scar".
Liz's set started at 9:25pm. She was wearing a red t-shirt and blue jeans. Setlist:
The band:
Some more recollections from Julia Rios:
At the beginning of the show Liz said that she'd hit her head on a metal railing earlier in the evening ("I saw blue stars," she said, "So if I keel over, you know why."). Later in the show when she started playing "Mesmerizing" instead of "Extraordinary" she laughed it off, saying, "It's the head! I've got the concussion injury!" then asked that they play "Never Said" before "Extraordinary" because, "It's what the head wants. Obey the head!"
Before she played "H.W.C.", Liz mentioned that Dino's parents were in the audience and that it was a little embarrassing for her. Right before she started the song she asked them to, "Just remember me the way I was at Dino's father's birthday." Then she sucked it up and did the song.
I forget exactly when it happened, but someone in the audience yelled to Dino, "I love your haircut!" To which, Dino smiled and shook his head.
I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with Liz outside after the show. Thanks, Liz, and enjoy the CDs!
[Thanks to Julia Rios for the filling in the gaps and Liz Phair for the kind words about this site.]
[Thanks to Brett Marlow / A&E for the info.]
[Thanks to Brett Marlow / Mix 96.9 for the info.]
Q94 announces star-studded lineup for Christmas show
Natasha Bedingfield, Liz Phair, Collective Soul, Jason Mraz and Bowling for Soup will all be a part of WRVQ's second annual Q94 A"Q"Stic Christmas Show on Wednesday, December 14th.
The event will be held at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. Tickets are $20 and go on sale at 6 p.m. this Friday, November 4th at Plan 9 in Carytown, online at Q94radio.com or at the Clear Channel Richmond office (3245 Basie Road Richmond 23228) during regular business hours. Last year’s show was completely pre-sold out so you may want to get your tickets early.
A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Richmond Chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
You can get more details at the Q94 website.
[Thanks to Richmond.com / Q94 for the info.]
It's the BIGGEST Concert Event of the Year!
PST's WINTER WONDERJAM 2005
December 12th at the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, NJ
Starring...
Ryan Cabrera * Gavin Degraw * Lifehouse * Bowling For Soup * Liz Phair * Natasha Bedingfield * The Veronicas
Tickets go on sale Saturday at 12pm (noon). There are three ways to purchase tickets to the show:
-In person at the Sovereign Bank Arena Box Office
-Via the phone by calling 1-888-SBA-TIXX (1-888-722-8499)
-Online at www.SovereignBankArena.com
[Thanks to Brett Marlow / 94.5 PST for the info.]
[Thanks to Operations on the Liz Phair Forum for the info.]
[Thanks to Jms1621 and BB2 on the Liz Phair Forum for the info.]
[Thanks to Jms1621 on the Liz Phair Forum for the info.]
On today's show, Liz talks to fans about the White Sox, plays some tunes live, and reads some more original stuff. Enjoy. DOWNLOAD (13mb)
[Thanks to XRay on the Liz Phair Forum for the info.]
Date Chart Position Weeks On Chart October 22, 2005 46 1 October 29, 2005 159 2 November 5, 2005 N/A N/A
Somebody's Miracle has fallen off The Billboard 200 chart after spending two weeks on it, peaking at its debut position of No. 46.
[Thanks to Billboard for the information.]
[Thanks to Mario Calire for the demo and shmoopy on the Liz Phair Forum for the reminder.]
[Thanks to *~jess~* on the Liz Phair Forum for the info.]
Phair Powers Up For Podcasts
By John Benson, Cleveland
Currently touring in support of her latest Capitol album, Somebody's Miracle, Liz Phair says she's found a positive outlet for downtime while on the road.
"I'm all about podcasting," Phair tells Billboard.com. "I'm totally fixated on it. It's what I'm into. We usually do a couple of live songs and then there are interviews. We're going to do it every Friday. It might be a little late here and there, but pretty much [it's up] every Friday."
Posted on Phair's Web site, the podcasts have been well received. Last week's second update featured live performances of "Polyester Bride", from 1998's Whitechocolatespaceegg and the title track from the new album. There is also a "soundseeing tour" of a bus breakdown and Phair reading a short piece of original fiction.
The debut podcast featured live versions of the unreleased track "Table for One" and "Baby Got Going", also from Whitechocolatespaceegg, as well as conversations with Phair's brother and her opinion of rail travel. Light and loose is how Phair approaches the concept.
"They're different," Phair says. "We record the live shows and it's very unprofessional at this point -- like, sometimes they sound good and sometimes they sound terrible but it's really fun. It's like having my own little radio show. I think it's great. We listen to all of the [National Public Radio] stuff on Sundays. It's kind of like having my own version."
The 38-year old singer says she plans on touring behind Somebody's Miracle throughout 2006. Phair, now a Los Angeles resident, performs tonight (Oct. 25) in her former hometown of Chicago. As for any extracurricular releases, there are currently no DVD plans ("Should I have some?," she asks) and a live album remains up in the air.
"No firm plans," Phair says. "But we're all talking about it."
[Thanks to John Benson / Billboard.com for the report.]
[Thanks to *~jess~* on the Liz Phair Forum for the info.]
Look for a new episode of Uplands podcast every Friday!
[Thanks to Brett Marlow for the information.]
"I recently got word that one of the tracks I recorded with Liz Phair a few years back will be on her newest album. Somebody's Miracle, comes out on Oct. 4th and the song I played on is 'Can't Get Out Of What I'm Into'."
Unfortunately, the track was pulled off the album at the last minute in favor of "Closer To You". Mario Calire played drums on "Can't Get Out Of What I'm Into".
[Thanks to Mario Calire for the information.]
You recorded Liz [Phair] and the band live in a big room. Is that your favorite way to record?
I think you get better performances with more people playing in a close environment. I think it's best not to overthink the overdubbing process. It's such a mystery to me how records end up becoming what they become. I'm not a guy who has a grand vision beforehand, like it's got to be exactly 112 beats per minute. I like to put everyone in the room at the same time and then listen to the drummer: 112 might sound like 115 or 120. You've just gotta try it out. Hopefully, everyone's checked their ego at the door.
How did Liz find you?
I met Liz a few years ago at South by Southwest after finishing John Mayer's first record. She told me how much she loved it. Then she heard my work with Jason Mraz and Rachael Yamagata, and she liked those albums, too. I really liked her as an artist, and I got a call last December to see if I could get together with her and talk about her recording. I flew out one morning to L.A. from Baltimore, had breakfast and then flew back home. We talked about the concept and we agreed on all points.
I gravitate toward the strong songwriters and do my best to help them communicate to the listener. I have a lot of respect for Liz — she's really individualistic and has her own distinct way.
Did she play ideas or demos for you?
Yes, she sent me some demos that were really great. The more I do this job, the more I am amazed at how good the demos are these days. In many cases, they could be the masters — depending on the labels and the politics, of course. She came into the studio with the same guys she had on the demos, and they did a great job. I think I was brought in because I could bring some objectivity because it's difficult to produce your own record.
I've produced my own work and I wish I could have had someone come in with a new and objective view. When we were making the Derryberry and Alagia records, we made an ungodly number of mistakes, and I wish they had never been recorded. Someone should have been kicking our asses to make it better and told us some of the lyrics were a bit dodgy.
You also play on Liz's album. I liked your B3 overdub, especially the way you stopped yourself in the middle of a take three or four times until you had what was working. What else?
I play some guitar, but I don't want to step on anyone's toes. I don't need to play on the records, but if I have something that might fill a gap, I will throw it in. I don't want to have my stamp on a record; I want to help the artist get their essence recorded well. The music producer is like a film director — you are a motivator and, hopefully, a big picture person, and you most of all want the artist to feel comfortable to yield the best results.
[Thanks to Mix / Mr. Bonzai / John Alagia for the interview.]
On today's show, Liz performs "Polyester Bride" and "Somebody's Miracle" with her band. There is a "soundseeing tour" of a bus breakdown, and Liz reads a short piece of original fiction. Click here to download (22mb).
You can download the podcast at iTunes or here.
[Thanks to Robert Joyner for the information.]
Due to scheduling conflicts Liz will be postponing her show at Café Campus in Montreal on Saturday, October 22nd. The show will be re-scheduled at the earliest possible date.
This was probably a result of the Chicago White Sox reaching the World Series and asking Chicago-native Liz to perform "God Bless America" during the 7th inning of Game 1 on that very Saturday (see below).
[Thanks to LizPhair.com for the information.]
For more details, visit the Chicago White Sox website.
[Thanks to Ben Platt / MLB.com for the information.]
Liz Phair & The Fray
Q98-Five is bringing 2 of your favorite Q artists to town... think of it as an early Christmas present. Keep listening to Q98-Five for more details and for your chance to win tickets!
More details when I get them...
[Thanks to Brett Marlow for the information.]
Liz at Z104.1 in Washington, DC |
10-17-05: LIZ ON WASHINGTON, DC RADIO
Liz Phair performed in the Z104 Lounge in Washington, DC for Z104.1 (WWZZ-FM). Click here to hear her sing "Extraordinary" and "Why Can't I?" as well as answer questions from audience members. For more details, visit the Z104.1 website. [Thanks to Z104.1 for the information.] |
[Thanks to Brett Marlow for the information.]
[Thanks to Billboard for the information.]
[Thanks to maxthegirl on the Liz Phair Forum for the link.]
Liz Phair drawing for Blender - Who does Liz Phair think she is? |
10-08-05: LIZ BLENDER DRAWING CHARITY AUCTION ON EBAY
You can bid on Liz's drawing for Blender (which will appear in the November issue) at eBay. The flip side of the drawing has Liz's first attempt at the drawing. Auction ends October 18th. All proceeds from the final sale of the drawing goes to the American Red Cross. [Thanks to XRay on the Liz Phair Forum for the link.] |
[Thanks to prathos on the Liz Phair Forum for the link and pics.]
Friday, May 20, 2005
An inside look at Sony's E3 party: Game gossip, rock stars, and an actual striptease
Dean Takahashi
Sony's parties at E3 are legendary. They are spectacles, and this year's followed that tradition.
After a day walking the floor and interviewing executives, I was popping my Motrin. But I wasn't about to miss Sony's shindig, even though I'd lost my wristband to get inside. Sony's Janette Barrios kindly fetched me a replacement, and I was back in business. The party was on the Elysian Park hilltop next to Dodger Stadium.
As I walked around the hill, the entertainment shifted from stage to stage. At one stage, a dozen women danced on stage. With their bikini tops and skimpy pants, they looked an awful lot like strippers.
That is, that's what I thought until I went to the next stage, where there was a boxing ring, and another woman in a kimono performed a real striptease, tassles and all. That's when I realized why Sony didn't allow any cameras into the party. I guess Sony really knows how to entertain.
Back on the main stage, Liz Phair was belting out "Feel like Makin' Love".
[Thanks to Dean Takahashi / San Jose Mercury News for the report.]
[Thanks to LizPhair.com for the info.]
Kevin Hastings, keyboard player for Liz Phair |
10-01-05: SPOTLIGHT ON LIZ PHAIR'S KEYBOARDIST KEVIN HASTINGS
Of all things, Liz's keyboardist for the forthcoming fall tour, Kevin Hastings, has an article about him in the October 1st issue of Salem Statesman Journal: "I'm totally stoked," [Kevin Hastings] said. "I have been a fan of [Liz Phair] for a few years. She is extremely creative." You can view the entire article here. |
[Thanks to Brett Marlow for the info.]
For more information, visit the Q104 website.
[Thanks to Brett Marlow for the info.]
Liz Phair Live from XM
MIX - XM 22
7PM ET
Liz Phair fuses her lo-fi indie rock and classic singer-songwriter style live in the XM Performance Theater.
[Thanks to Brett Marlow and u2fan1983 on the Liz Phair Forum for the link.]
Singer Liz Phair plays a game we're calling "Cursing Through the Ages". Three questions about swearing taken from the book Swearing by Geoffrey Hughes.
[Thanks to Tom Conlon from the Support System mailing list for the info.]
Liz Phair Performs on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, The Ellen Degeneres Show and Last Call With Carson Daly Upon Release of New Album, Somebody's Miracle
Video for Lead Single, "Everything To Me", Premieres on Yahoo! Music and Goes Into Rotation at VH1
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Liz Phair will launch her latest album, Somebody's Miracle, with a trio of national television appearances. Phair will perform her new single, "Everything To Me", on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (October 3rd), The Ellen Degeneres Show and Last Call with Carson Daly (both airing October 4th, the day of the album's release.) Later that week, she'll kick off a two-month headlining tour of North America. Somebody's Miracle is the follow-up to Phair's 2003 self-titled album, which included the Gold single "Why Can't I".
Yahoo! Music gave the video for "Everything To Me" its world premiere on September 19th and it will go into rotation at VH1 next week. Fans can see Phair perform a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Saturn" at http://music.yahoo.com/ as part of the Pepsi SMASH Cover Art series. "Saturn" is from Wonder's landmark 1976 album, Songs in the Key of Life, a work that served as an inspiration for Phair as she recorded Somebody's Miracle. Another cool cover by Phair -- the Rolling Stones' "Mother's Little Helper" -- appears on the recently released Desperate Housewives soundtrack. Phair's five-song "Rolling Stone Original" session will debut on October 7th at http://www.rollingstone.com. And she'll perform the title song from her new album on the November 20th episode of the WB's Charmed.
"Tell-all impulse intact, Phair matures -- and rocks out -- adventurously," said Blender in a four-star review of Somebody's Miracle while New York Magazine called it "her best album yet". The New York Post observed in a live review: "As hot as her lyrics are, she's much more than a pretty blond waif who likes to talk dirty. Her songwriting and unconventional guitar playing shine through the steam."
Tour dates are as follows:
LIZ PHAIR - FALL 2005 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR 10/6 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Revolution 10/7 Orlando, FL House of Blues 10/8 Tampa, FL Janus Landing 10/10 Atlanta, GA Roxy Theatre 10/12 Washington, DC 9:30 Club 10/14 Boston, MA Avalon 10/16 Philadelphia, PA TLA 10/17, 18 New York, NY Irving Plaza 10/20 Buffalo, NY Center For The Arts 10/22 Montreal, QC Cafe Campus 10/23 Toronto, ON Phoenix 10/25 Chicago, IL Vic Theater 10/26 Milwaukee, WI Pabst Theater 10/27 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue 10/29 Denver, CO Gothic Theater 10/31 Dallas, TX Gypsy Ballroom 11/1 Austin, TX La Zona Rosa 11/2 Tulsa, OK Cain's Ballroom 11/7 Los Angeles, CA House of Blues 11/8 San Francisco, CA Fillmore 11/11 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom 11/12 Seattle, WA Neumo's 11/13 Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom 11/15 Anaheim, CA House of Blues 11/16 San Diego, CA House of Blues 11/17 Las Vegas, NV House of Blues
For more information on LIZ PHAIR, visit http://www.lizphair.com
[Thanks to Brett Marlow for the info.]
FALL MUSIC 2005
15 LIZ phair
On her previous, self-titled album, Phair said ciao to the cool crowd and fully embraced pop — a polarizing move that had some critics cheering and others rigging up the whipping post. With Miracle, "I'm inclined to think it'll piss off fewer people," she says. "It's less sensationalistic, less check-it-out! splashy. It's more affectionate than that." And, yes, "'mature". She's pretty well exiled from Exile in Guyville's ethos. "I did think to myself, what is it that [the last album's detractors] really missed? So I tried to provide that side of my art in the stories. But in many ways, I can't take into consideration what they said, because it would be like trying to be 25 when you're not anymore." (Oct. 4)
[Thanks to Arbell Camron for the information.]
[Thanks to Brett Marlow and XRay on the Liz Phair Forum for the link.]
These special auctions are available for the following shows:
Friday, October 7th - Orlando, FL - Bidding begings 9/23 - More Information
Saturday, October 8th - St. Petersburg, FL - Bidding begins 9/23 - More Information
Monday, October 10th - Atlanta, GA - Bidding begins 9/23- More information
Friday, October 14th - Boston, MA - Bidding begins 9/23 - More information
Sunday, October 16th - Philadelphia, PA - Bidding begins 9/23 - More information
Sunday, October 23rd - Toronto, ONT - Bidding begins 9/23 - More information
For more information on the auctions, click here.
[Thanks to Brett Marlow / LPX for the info.]
Café Du Nord, San Francisco, CA, August 18, 2005
setlist
Dino Meneghin and Liz Phair
Liz Phair
Swedish American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA, August 19, 2005
setlist
Liz Phair
Liz Phair plugs friend's play
Liz Phair Airs "Miracle"
Singer-songwriter kicks off twenty-six-city tour next month
Jessica Robertson
Fresh off her acoustic summer tour, Liz Phair gets back on the bus for a more ambitious North American jaunt in support of her fifth album, Somebody's Miracle. The tour kicks off on October 6th in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Due October 4th, Somebody's Miracle was produced by John Alagia (Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer) and John Shanks (Sheryl Crow, Melissa Etheridge), and finds the rocker once again mining her personal relationships. "The title track," says Phair, "is really about longing for an innocence, wishing I could recapture the innocence of what love is, the belief in love."
Her latest effort also drew inspiration from Stevie Wonder. "I was hell-bent on doing a song-by-song [response] to Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life," says Phair, who has said that her 1993 debut, Exile in Guyville, was a response to the Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street. "So I had all the charts made, and we hung them up in the studio, and that session was really where we got most of the arrangements for the songs."
The album's first single, "Everything to Me", has already hit radio.
[Thanks to Jessica Robertson / RollingStone.com for the report.]
[Thanks to Extraordinary87 on the Liz Phair Forum for the link.]
[Thanks to evilove on the Liz Phair Forum for the link.]
[Thanks to folks at Capitol Records for the info.]
[Thanks to Brett Marlow for the info.]
Fashion Focus Chicago 2005
In celebration of the launch of the IN:CHICAGO Card, American Express will be the presenting sponsor at Fashion Focus Chicago 2005, an 11-day event running from September 19-29. Fashion Focus spotlights the many distinctive aspects of the Chicago Fashion Industry and showcases new talent.
IN:CHICAGO Presents Gen Art Fresh Faces in Fashion 2005
As part of Fashion Focus Chicago's finale event, Gen Art Fresh Faces in
Fashion, the IN:CHICAGO Card from American Express will host an after party where VIP guests will be entertained with an exclusive concert by Chicago's own rock n' roll superstar, Fresh Faces in Fashion 2005, presented by Gen Art and IN:CHICAGO as part of Fashion Focus Chicago, will be held on Thursday, September 29th at the Millennium Park Rooftop Garden and Promenade with a cocktail reception at 7 p.m. and show at 8:30 p.m.
[Thanks to Brett Marlow for the info.]
[Thanks to XRay on the Liz Phair Forum for the link.]
[Thanks to Jason Long and Michael Honaker for the info.]
[Thanks to JeremyEngel from the Liz Phair Forum for the pics.]
[Thanks to Guyville for the info.]
Liz Phair's Somebody's Miracle |
09-11-05: SOMEBODY'S MIRACLE
No real news item here... If you were curious about the cover for Liz's new album, here it is. [Thanks to Brett Marlow for the pic.] |
"Well I did the Liz Phair record that got shelved. She went in with The Matrix and made it a pop record. And we had made this record... Some of it actually wound up on the record, but we had made this sort of quirky, interesting record together."
You can hear his comments yourself here (approximately 18 minutes into the program).
[Thanks to Steve Rhodes from the Support System mailing list for the info.]
• LIZ PHAIR - Miss Liz Phair is amazing, and she has been so cool to me on our little acoustic tour in the last few weeks. I just wanted to thank her for bringing me out on the road and making my mid-nineties indie rock dreams come true.
[Thanks to Extraordinary87 on the Liz Phair Forum for the link.]
[Thanks to XRay on the Liz Phair Forum for the links.]