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LIVE REVIEWS: Liz Phair, Francine Reed (with Lyle Lovett), Anna Nalick, Antigone Rising...

Francine Reed's Blues Uplift Lovett Show
Central Park, NYC
by Tina Whelski

To say that Lyle Lovett and His Large Band put on a “big” show would be an understatement. Lovett and his cohorts turned Central Park SummerStage into a Southern porch party during the July 18 Metropolitan Talent Presents concert. As New York City’s skyline disappeared into the night, a barefoot audience led by twanging guitars and howling blues scales hit the lawn. Lovett, the hospitable Texas neighbor, quipped about relationships, trucks, and the virtues of farm life. Beyond the interludes were blares from the horn section, chiming gospel vocalists and Lovett’s subtle, country/rock songs.

Lovett’s longtime special guest, singer Francine Reed, opened the show with a scorching rendition of “Wild Women Don’t Get The Blues.” After sharing a folksy pucker, Reed and Lovett fell into charming banter, telling the story of love in a duet of “What Do You Do,” the perfect set up for the next number, “Here I Am.” Lovett seized the opportunity for comedy on the dry, spoken-word verses: “Given that true intellectual and emotional compatibility are at the very least difficult, if not impossible to come by/We could always opt for the more temporal gratification of sheer physical attraction/That wouldn’t make you a shallow person/Would it?” he coyly questioned with a wink in his voice. The brass piped back in with a forgiving chorus.

Storytelling was as much a part of the repertoire as classics like “That’s Right (You’re Not From Texas),” “She’s No Lady,” “If I Had A Boat,” “Cute As A Bug,” “San Antonio Girl” and “My Baby Don’t Tolerate,” which Lovett playfully prefaced with couples counseling.

“Here’s a song about why good relationships are good,” said Lovett. “I’ve always felt it’s really important in a relationship that there always be one person that’s a silent partner. Things just seem to work out better that way. We fellas just need a little help every now and then. We want to do the right thing, but we have absolutely no idea what that is.”

The master of nuance, Lovett went on to perform “She’s Hot to Go,” slipping good-humored lyrics about how “She’s ugly from the front” from the side of his mouth. Reed threw in a teasing, "Well you're ugly too! and the music swelled around Lovett's amusement. Despite all of his riling though, Lovett’s ballads, “Nobody Knows Me” and one of his earliest songs “Closing Time,” hit a very tender place.

Lovett’s first tour with The Large Band was in 1988 and his obvious excitement to continue to collaborate with Reed and the ensemble was most obvious in the revival-esque section of the set, “I’m Going To Wait” which led into the equally fervent “I’m Going To The Place.” The spirit continued in the encore where Atlanta’s Sweet Pea Atkinson helped stir “Church” to its holiest musical place with his affirming “Yeahs” and Reed's energized support vocals incited additional praising.

During “In My Own Mind” Lovett sings “I live in my own mind/Ain’t nothing but a good time.” For an audience who hasn’t seen Lovett in Central Park since 2001, the more than two-hour set was testimony Lovett wasn’t exaggerating the claim.

Liz Phair Mesmerizing Indeed
Joe’s Pub NYC
by: Rahav Segev

I first saw Liz Phair perform at CBGB’s in 1993, a show that was nothing less than a revelation. She walked past me as she left the club that night, and I was too scared to even try to talk to her. Ah, what might have been! After our near encounter, I ran out and bought the CD Exile in Guyville and re-played it again and again (just like the memory of that night.) This may sound a bit obsessive, but all I have to say is listen to “Flower” a few times and tell me you don’t feel the same way.

In any case, Liz was playing Joe’s Pub on August 1 and 2 a truly exciting proposition. The last time I’d seen her was a year-end radio extravaganza at Madison Square Garden where she was pushing her self-titled Liz Phair, not my favorite of her albums and a 180-degree departure from the style of her earlier music. Seeing her at a place as intimate as Joe’s now though was a rare occurrence I fortunately didn’t pass up.

Backstage prior to the show I asked her about an interview she’d just done with The New York Times in which she seemed to be railing against people who wanted her to write the same kind of music she recorded for Exile and subsequently Whip Smart.

“I’m not against the old music at all,” she said. “It’s a really important part of my life and I love it. It’s just not all that I’m doing anymore and I’ve moved on from where I was.”

Despite saying that, the format of the acoustic performances she played involved a lot of older material. Liz and her back-up guitarist/vocalist and boyfriend Dino Meneghin took requests the first night from the audience and for the song challenge (it had to be a song she doesn’t know that well) she played “My Mother is Mine.”

On night two she opened with “Polyester Bride,” “Black Market White Baby,” “Let's Roll” and “Extraordinary.” For someone like me whose been a fan since the first album it was a show that couldn’t have been more satisfying from “Mesmerizing” to a few bars of “Stratford on Guy,” to “Flower,” “Supernova” and the closer “Fuck and Run,” it was all there and more.

Of course Liz also played songs from her new album, Somebody’s Miracle (Capitol), out on October 4th. The title track and new single made it clear that Liz still has the talent to write songs with great melodies and lyrics that remain true to her original style.

Rahav 'Cosi' is a regular contributor to The New York Times, Rolling Stone, the NY Post, DJ Times as well as People, Us, Vogue, Mojo, Le Monde, New York Magazine and many others. Currently his work is on exhibit at CBGB's gallery thru August 2005 in connection with Abrams Books "30 years from the home of underground rock" to which he contributed 5 images. His latest album cover is Ute Lemper's "Blood and Feathers" released on July 7, 2005 on DRG records. www.photopass.com.

Antigone Rising
The Downtown, Farmingdale, NY
by Randi Savron

When a crowd of about 400 roared for a second encore, it was easy to recall that it was almost 10 years ago in small, intimate venues such as this that the fan base of Antigone Rising began to grow. One of VH1's "Rising Stars Of 2005," the band, now signed to Lava Records, came "home" to The Downtown in Farmingdale to thank their fans on Long Island, where this all-girl band has roots.

The girls came on stage in their signature funky attire to a screaming audience that could recite the lyrics to their songs. Vocalist Cassidy led the girls into their first set with "Hello," "WWW (Waiting, Watching and Wishing)" and "Choke." The first song grabbed the crowd's attention and never let go. Rhythm guitarist Kristen Henderson and her sister, Kathy, both accompanied Cassidy with background vocals throughout the night, and continuously impressed with their guitar licks. Drummer Dena Tauriello and bassist Jen Zielenbach completed the band. The crowd howled when the Henderson sisters jammed on their guitars.

"Michael," an original song from the album New and Used (1999), was dedicated to a friend who died in a car accident; an old roommate inspired "She Lived Here," written by Cassidy. These songs were tied together with "What," "Broken," "Medicated Magdaline" (a cover of a Michelle Malone song), "Nugget," and "Buying Bridges." During the chorus of "She Lived Here," following the line "Did they wipe off that smile with dollar bills?" members of the audience threw dollar bills onstage to Cassidy in what seemed to be an effort to ease her pain. It was heartwarming to see such a bond between the group and their following. The band also acknowledged the familiar faces of their fans that have followed them for years.

The encore consisted of two songs: "Better" and "Push It," during which the band rocked harder. When the crowd roared for a second encore, unfortunately, Antigone Rising opted for the old show business adage of "always leave them wanting more."

Antigone Rising's crisp sound, great harmonies and catchy melodies made quick fans of those who hadn't seen the act before. Cassidy's mature sound and youthful stage presence made the night one that this reviewer won't forget 10 years from now.

Anna Nalick
Town Hall, New York - July 26
by Tina Whelski

New York (Hollywood Reporter) - When singer-songwriter Anna Nalick sang "Breathe (2 AM)," from her debut album, "Wreck of the Day," at Town Hall on Tuesday, she seemed to be reminding herself to inhale and exhale as much as she was performing the song for the audience.

The refrain worked. When Nalick hit that tune early in the set, the 21-year-old newcomer found her calm place, allowing her melodic confessionals to open up. With lines from the song like "I feel like I'm naked in front of the crowd/And these words are my diary screaming out loud," Nalick intimately laid down all cards, but she matched that vulnerability with the cocky wordplay of songs like "Paper Bag." The emotional interplay between uncertainty and strength prevalent throughout Nalick's writing made for an endearing performance that was only raised by her vocal ability.

Nalick's voice conveyed a wise quality, no doubt in part because of younger days at the piano with her grandmother, a Depression-era entertainer who performed with such respected talents as Fred Astaire and the Marx Brothers. Although backed by a capable band, Nalick was more powerful left alone with her record-perfect sound and introspective songs -- particularly the title track of her album, for which she embraced an acoustic guitar and channeled into the subconscious place where the words were created before being joined by sparse instrumental accompaniment.

As precocious as Nalick appeared, she retained an engaging, wide-eyed quality. Interacting with the crowd, she offered a hello to a girl she met before the show. She revealed that Jakob Dylan said her name from stage once and she almost passed out; the fact that Nalick has been touring with Dylan and the Wallflowers made her claim even more humorous.

Nalick titled the album "Wreck of the Day" to indicate that she prefers to encounter life's daily "wrecks" rather than never facing her fears at all. She might have garnered initial attention through the licensing to her songs to such TV shows as "Joan of Arcadia" and "One Tree Hill," but her live show demonstrated any trepidation she might have soon should pass -- she's already grown into her new role.