Guitarist/singer Art Alexakis battled an unspecified illness Sunday (12/5), suffering through the set list as he and his band Everclear [ tickets ] played The Venue of Scottsdale, AZ.

His vocals sometimes bordered on unlistenable, but his fans were appreciative of his attempts.

Alexakis and his hoarse voice kicked off the show with a subtle, "How you guys doing?" The small but enthusiastic crowd welcomed him with arms in the air when he cut into a sickly "Everything to Everyone." It was the beginning of a 90-minute, hit-laden set in celebration of Everclear [ tickets ]'s 10th anniversary and the release "Ten Years Gone: The Best of Everclear 1994-2004." The set list spanned the group's career.

"How many old-school Everclear fans do we have?" Alexakis asked before playing "Heroin Girl."

Later, the singer strapped on an acoustic guitar and headed up the stage alone for "Strawberry," which was clearly a favorite of the audience. He took frequent breaks and allowed the crowd to do the singing for him. At one point, he poked fun of an audience member who held up a lighter in honor of the song.

"Put the lighter away. This isn't m---------ing Lynyrd Skynyrd. That is so 1986," Alexakis said. Then he backtracked a bit: "That's all right. We all make mistakes. Trust me, brother, I'm still making mistakes."

Alexakis may have been off key and ill, but his energy was contagious. He encouraged the crowd to do the "stupid" pogo jump, and allowed his fans to sing portions of songs as he held forward the microphone. "Volvo Driving Soccer Mom" added punch to the performance early on. His snide sense of humor tickled the fans, who ate up every word.

"Aw, you got me a white tiger," Alexakis said when someone handed him a stuffed animal. "Now I have someone to sleep with on the road."

He continually poked fun at Phoenix and its unseasonably bad weather. His band used it as an excuse to play a few bars of Foreigner's "Cold as Ice."

"It's always great to be back in Phoenix. But you know what? It's raining and it's 50 degrees. You guys suck for this weather," Alexakis said. "I've been sick for two or three days and I was looking forward to sitting by the pool and watching the girls walk by in their bikinis."