Liz Phair

There is a joke to be made about Liz Phair performing on Halloween. The woman is a little scary, whether swinging her sexuality like a pair of nunchucks or making a second-act grab for mainstream success. A Liz Phair show on the 31st is also scary because, as a performer, she can be unpredictable. When Phair first starting playing Texas venues, fans were known to exit in droves. They weren't mad; they were embarrassed for her. Look, the woman can't sing, and most of her best songs are in a rumbling baritone generally best suited for trannies. But years of touring, true love and L.A. sunshine have bolstered her live act. Granted, her new, radio-ready music is neither anathema nor revelation, and lonely hearts and horny music nerds might be disappointed that Phair has given up writing another "Fuck and Run." But imagine if she hadn't? She's, like, almost 40 years old with an 8-year-old kid. Now that would be scary.