Blondshell Opens for Liz Phair at Revolution Hall in Portland
Only a few short months after her headline affair at Polaris Hall, Blondshell returned to Portland on November 13 to open for Liz Phair’s Exile in Guyville Anniversary Tour at Revolution Hall. Photos and words by Jenny Shackleton.
I will take any opportunity to see Blondshell perform any time she comes through town. This time it was as an opener for Liz Phair on her Exile in Guyville 30th Anniversary Tour. With this, comes an audience of former punk Gen-Xers who dug their leather jackets out for the night and some accompanying teenagers. That was the right move for them, because I have said before that Blondshell is definitely this generation’s Liz Phair in her Guyville Era.
Besides the fact that they both have low registering voices and guitar heavy songs, their lyrical storytelling is so similar. They both write what they know: living through early adulthood and dealing with the fuckboys and general anxieties that come along with it. It is a great example of how young adults of all generations will go through a lot of the same things. I think these ladies are the perfect pair to show that, so I’m glad to see they are touring together. It is appropriate that this show in Portland took place at Revolution Hall, a venue that is part of a repurposed high school and placed in the auditorium.
Jenny Shackleton (she/her) is a photographer based in Portland, OR, originally hailing from Philadelphia, PA. Her love for live music started over 15 years ago after seeing the Jonas Brothers perform on their Burning Up tour in 2008 and the rest is history. As a naturally shy person, it’s surprising she feels so comfortable at concerts with hundreds of people attending, but has always believed that they are special, somewhat liminal, spaces. Everyone is there for the same reason: to have the best night and see artists pour their souls’ onto the stage. That is what Jenny likes to capture in her photos. Jenny enjoys spending time outside with her partner and their dog, watching movies, and owning way too many sneakers.