Courtney Love - TLA 2013

Courtney Love brought her famously unpredictable stage presence to Philadelphia's Theatre of Living Arts on June 20, 2013, for a raw and intimate show that felt worlds away from the massive stages she had occupied during her years with Hole. The small TLA setting was an ideal environment for Love's confrontational style, giving the audience a close-up look at an artist who has always been at her best when things feel a little dangerous.

The performance drew heavily from Love's Hole catalog, including songs such as “Miss World,” “Violet,” “Doll Parts,” “Celebrity Skin,” “Malibu,” “Reasons to Be Beautiful” and “Mono.” Hearing those songs in a small club gave them a different character. The massive rock arrangements were replaced by something much more immediate, with Love's voice and personality pushed to the front.

Love was never a polished, predictable performer, and that was part of the attraction. There was an element of spontaneity throughout the evening, with plenty of interaction between Love and the crowd. She could be funny, abrasive, vulnerable and completely commanding within the space of a few minutes.

“Doll Parts” and “Reasons to Be Beautiful” provided some of the night's more emotional moments, while “Violet” and “Celebrity Skin” reminded everyone why Hole had become such an important force in alternative rock. These weren't simply songs from another era; they still carried the intensity that made them so memorable.

The TLA show ultimately worked because it felt personal. Courtney Love didn't need an enormous production to make an impression. In a small Philadelphia club, surrounded by longtime fans and songs that had defined an important chapter of her career, she delivered a messy, powerful and thoroughly memorable night of rock and roll.