Concert Flashback: Liz Phair

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10 years after her seminal debut album, Liz Phair returned to her hometown to support her latest release, an attempt to be an out and out pop star.  At her best, Phair was always a timid stage performer and, according to the Chicago Tribune, this wasn’t her at her best.  I can’t claim to have much in the way of particular memories about this show, but the story of her sharing the stage with a fan to perform Flower does ring a bell.

I had been a fan of Liz Phair since the release of Exile In Guyville back in 1993 and the occassional appearance of her video on MTV’s 120 Minutes.  While it may not have been the  best performance, I could at least cross her off the list of acts that I would need to see.  Of course, she would also play a part in the next show I would see.

2013: The Year In Movies Part 2

112 different people starred in the movies I saw last year (starring in being the first two named stars, a tradition dating back to the old Chicago Tribune TV guide), and only 7 of them were in more than 1. Those seven are:

Films Per Actor Per Year

Name Films
James Franco 3
Joseph Gordon-Levitt 3
Jennifer Lawrence 3
Jennifer Aniston 2
Jessica Chastain 2
Alexandra Daddario 2
Robert Downey Jr. 2

Now let’s take a look at the remaining movies that I saw in 2013, following up on Friday’s post.

The Purge (2013)
An intriguing premise that kind of fell apart as the film went on.

Thor: The Dark World (2013)
A better movie than the first, and a good follow up to the Avengers.

This Is The End (2013)
Quite possibly the funniest movie of the year.

Evil Dead (2013)
The remake of the classic horror film that I also saw for the first time this year.

Skyfall (2012)
I had this disc from Netflix for over 6 months before I finally got around to watching it.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
I left my work’s holiday party early to catch this in IMAX on its last day before it was replaced by the new Hobbit movie.

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#286 – Shawn Hillegas

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Name: Shawn Hillegas

Rank: 286

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 1988-1990

Shawn Hillegas joined the White Sox on August 30, 1988 from the Dodgers in exchange for Ricky Horton.  He made his White Sox debut on September 6, taking the place of an injured Jack McDowell in the starting rotation.  Hillegas ended up starting six games that September, going 3-2 with a 3.15 ERA.

Hillegas broke camp in 1989 as part of the starting rotation, but he struggled early, going 1-6 by May.  Hillegas went to manager Jeff Torborg and asked to be used in relief.  “I told him I didn’t feel like I was doing the job starting,” Hillegas told the Chicago Tribune. “I’m putting the team behind in the game.”  Hillegas moved to the bullpen, where he made 37 appearances, and finished the year with an ERA of 4.74.

Hillegas spent most of 1990 at Triple A Vancouver, only making 7 appearances for the big league club.  That December, he was packaged, along with fellow pitcher Eric King, to the Indians in exchange for Cory Snyder.

Hillegas’ numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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The Year In Movies – Part 2

109 different people starred in the movies I saw last year (starring in being the first two named stars, a tradition dating back to the old Chicago Tribune TV guide), and only 9 of them were in more than 1.  Those nine are:

Films Per Actor Per Year

Name Films
Jonah Hill 3
Nicolas Cage 2
George Clooney 2
Daniel Craig 2
Harrison Ford 2
Ryan Gosling 2
Chris Hemsworth 2
Sara Paxton 2
Amanda Seyfried 2

Now let’s take a look at the remaining movies that I saw in 2012, following up on Wednesday’s post.

Ghosts of Goldfield (2007)
A horrible, horrible film that I barely paid attention to.

Chronicle (2012)
A found footage film of a kid who has been bullied all of his life and acquires super powers.

Gone (2012)
When a former kidnapping victim wakes up to find her sister missing, she assumes the man from whom she escaped is the one responsible.

The Sitter (2011)
Jonah Hill is a poor-man’s Elizabeth Shue in this basic rip-off of Adventures In Babysitting.

The Darkest Hour (2011)
A quartet of Americans are stranded in Russia when aliens attack the world.

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