Doors: 6:00PM | Show: 7:00PM
The legendary Liz Phair is poised to set the stage ablaze with her much-anticipated Exile In Guyville 30th Anniversary Tour at the historic Kalamazoo State Theatre on Thursday, December 7, 2023 with support from Kate Bollinger.
About Liz Phair and Exile In Guyville:
This year marks a monumental milestone as Liz Phair’s seminal debut masterpiece, Exile In Guyville, celebrates its 30th anniversary. The album, initially released on June 22, 1993 via Matador Records, shattered conventions and continues to captivate listeners worldwide.
An ingenious 18-track double album, Exile In Guyville, artfully crafted as a song-by-song response to The Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main St., was instantaneously hailed as a classic upon its arrival. Over the years, the album’s stature has soared, becoming an iconic work and a pioneering feminist touchstone. The accolades have poured in, with Pitchfork ranking it at an impressive #4 on their “Best 150 Albums of the 1990s” list and Rolling Stone recognizing it at an esteemed #56 on their “Best 500 Albums of All Time” compilation.
This autumn, Liz Phair will embark on a remarkable full-band US tour, gracing some of the largest stages of her career to perform Exile In Guyville in its entirety, along with a selection of additional hits.
Continuing a Legacy:
Liz Phair’s impact didn’t stop at Exile In Guyville. With five subsequent albums, over five million records sold, television composition, and two GRAMMY nominations under her belt, Phair defied expectations and pushed boundaries. In 2019, her candid memoir, Horror Stories (Random House), garnered praise for its unfiltered exploration of fame, motherhood, and aging, echoing the raw honesty of her iconic songs. Her latest full-length release, Soberish (2021), saw Phair reuniting with Exile In Guyville producer Brad Wood. The album earned accolades from Variety, labeling it “A superior work,” while The New Yorker drew parallels to her debut, describing it as “spontaneous and elemental.”
In 2018, Matador Records reissued Exile In Guyville as a deluxe box set, featuring the remastered original album and the first officially restored audio of 1991’s Girly-Sound tapes – a collection of early Phair works self-released on cassette. Pitchfork’s perfect 10.0 rating underscored the album’s lasting influence, aptly calling it a “sanctified codex for girls.”
An Unforgettable Experience:
Liz Phair has graced the cover of Rolling Stone, dominated SPIN’s “20 Best Albums of the Year,” and secured the pinnacle spot on the Village Voice Pazz and Jop Critics Poll. Her participation in the iconic Lilith Fair in 1998-9, alongside luminaries like Sarah McLachlan, Emmylou Harris, Sheryl Crow, and Missy Elliott, solidified her status as a trailblazing force.
As her debut’s 30th anniversary draws near, Liz Phair’s impact on contemporary music, particularly amplifying female voices, resonates more powerfully than ever.
About Kate Bollinger:
An indie singer/songwriter from Virginia, Kate Bollinger’s introspective, jazz-inflected songs mix gentle atmospheres often built from complex extended chords with her bright, warm vocal delivery. Traversing folk, indie rock, and R&B leanings on early songs, she settled into a mellow indie pop with her second EP, 2019’s I Don’t Wanna Lose. One of its songs, “Candy,” was sampled by Kanye West for his 2021 song “Donda.” Bollinger made her Ghostly International debut in 2022 with her fourth EP, Look at It in the Light.
