Sassy Girls Rule!

I have the sweetest boyfriend on the planet and he loves Liz Phair. When he lived on the East Coast, he never got to see her live in person. He moved to Seattle two years ago and this fall he will enjoy his fifth live performance of the fair Ms. Phair -- he couldn't be happier.

I am about the biggest "square" there is. If I can't hear the lyrics, I'm not really interested. Even at the height of my music fan-dom, I used to spend hours sprawled on the floor of my bedroom, album covers (with lyrics) spread out all over, doing my version of literary analysis of those artists who illuminated the experience of my life. The smarter the lyrics, the smarter I felt, and the more I loved the song.

The first couple of times we saw Liz Phair, I couldn't understand a word she was saying, so my beloved would translate for me. Same with Elvis Costello. Everyone in the crowd was singing along, but I was left back, figuring there had to be something there to appreciate. (Please note: I have since become a HUGE Elvis Costello fan)

So the other night, just before we left for the show, I asked him to tell me everything he knew about Liz and he played most of his IPod collection for me. In addition, the SOLD OUT concert turned out to be acoustic (just her and her very cute boyfriend). Gotta say...I LOVED IT!

What's not to love? She's beautiful, smart, funny, plays guitar like a monster, and her lyrics are bone-deep honest. Plus, I like a girl with a potty mouth and she doesn't mince words when it comes to love. She expresses the entire range of female sexual experience from the disgust of another "Fuck and Run" evening to wanting to be someone's "blow job queen." At the same time we tell ourselves, "I am extraordinary" we also feel as good as dead when our beloved gets "tired of looking at my face."

I'm not saying that I'm going to rush to her next concert (unless I can hear the words), but the other night, she made me want to buy a 12-string guitar and start writing and singing my own sings at the top of my voice: "Average every day sane psycho super goddess..."

According to my sweetie, her most famous album is "Exile in Guyville" and it's a response to the Rolling Stones' "Exile on Main Street." Buy it and listen. She's frank and shocking and brilliant and she's giving a voice to sassy girls everywhere.

GO LI-IZ! GO LI-IZ!