Itβs the summer of 1995 and things are starting to heat upβJagged Little Pill drops the third week of June, (a few days before Batman Forever is released) and things are never the same. Alt-rock and grunge are still in full swing, but a petite chestnut-brunette, harmonica-slinging Canadian with a voice that is equal parts gospel singer, growling lioness and Alpine yodeler, named Alanis Morissette is about to redefine the genre with a 16x Platinum sonic detonation, including unforgettable songs like βYou Oughta Knowβ (recorded with session musicians Dave Navarro and Flea), βIronicβ, βHand In Pocketβ, βYou Learnβ, and βHead Over Feetβ. Single after single go to #1 and Alanis becomes a household name, feminist icon and Gen-X sex symbol.
Twenty-seven years and seven albums later, it seems as though nothing has changed. Alanis is more popular than ever, everyone knows every lyric and the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View is now host of one of the biggest female singers in history. As Shirley Manson said, βThank you to Alanis, whom is an inspiration to all womenβ. If you havenβt taken a listen in a while, swallow it down.
Garbage
Opening for Alanis was the mighty alt-pop band Garbage, fronted by Scottish singer Shirley Manson. Their classics βOnly Happy When It Rainsβ, βI Think Iβm Paranoidβ, βStupid Girlβ, βPush Itβ, βSpecialβ and β#1 Crushβ (which they unfortunately did not perform last night) made them the βitβ band of the 90s. However, their latest album, No Gods, No Masters includes the topical βThe Men Who Rule The Worldβ and throbbing βWolvesβ. Always the aficionados, this is the second time opening in as many months (the most recent was for Tears For Fears in June), and You can check it out here.
