Windy City Watch
Oh Chicago, you give us our home, and many great bands. HEAVE gives thanks in this week's Watch.
I've got Thanksgiving on the brain. As I poured through bands in the Chicagoland area that deserve a worthy note, I started to think of the local acts I'm thankful for in my life. It started on a small scale, thinking about new bands that I'm proud of and excited for. Then I thought of the the bigger picture; bands that I'm thankful for who broke out of Chicago, and went on to do bigger and better things. The bands who have influenced the musical taste and sonic road map of my own life. It reminded me I was thankful for having The Smashing Pumpkins around when I was being driven to my middle school dance, singing along to "Tonight Tonight" as we went to face those awkward adolescent moments. Thankful for having Wilco's "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart" around when I had my own heart broken for the first time. I thought of the happy memories of being ten again and dancing around my house in pure joy to Live at Budokan. Hell, I even thought about Zwan. And then I thought of the one Chicago artist that I'm really thankful for; Liz Phair.
I'm not talking about the "I'm a sexy mom shtick," Liz Phair that we all know and probably loathe. I'm talking about the original "Fuck and Run" 1993 living as a poor musician in Chicago Liz Phair. I never heard Exile in Guyville when it first came out for obvious reasons; I was seven at the time, and if you take a listen to the song "Flower," you'll realize why no seven year old was rocking out to Liz in '93. But as I moved from small town to big city girl, I gave Liz's critically acclaimed debut another spin. At the time I was going through a messy time of growing up, dealing with a difficult and complicated love, and Liz's music just clicked. When she sang "Baby I'm tired of fighting, I always wanted you," she was belting out the honest truth I was too scared to say. She made smart young women realize that you don't need to pine over toxic relationships, that mind games don't really work and that sometimes you have to dish out the truth in life and love.
A lot of my friends of the male persuasion don't get Liz. "She's just about shock value," or "she's just a chick singing about blow jobs, big deal." I understand where my guys are coming from, because if I wasn't a female I'm not sure I would like Phair myself. When it comes down to it, she is music for women. She wasn't perfect, wasn't the prettiest girl, and wasn't the best singer, but she made scores of women realize that all of these traits and all of these things she was singing about was normal. She gave real girls something to relate to, and in a world saturated by false idols and fallen pop stars, that's something so many women desperately need.
So yes, I'm thankful this Thursday not for Turkey, family, or even good health, but the good music Chicago has given us, and continues to produce into the world. Now go find your favorite Chicago act, say a little blessing for having them in your life and give them some extra spins this Holiday weekend. Because music always helps along any turkey and stuffing induced hangover, trust me. Happy Holidays folks.
Posted by Lisa White on Nov 20, 2007 @ 12:00 am
