Lissie Live!

 

        

        Have you ever heard a singer whose voice can fill a theater? Do you picture her in a long, flowing white dress and barefoot? Can she play the guitar and also write her own songs!? Does she live on her grandma’s farm in Iowa? She goes by the nickname Lissie for Elisabeth.

I was fortunate to see her perform last night in the Troubador Theater where she first performed in downtown Los Angeles. My husband and I went with a local couple that we have known for over thirty years. When she started out, I am sure it was a cool part of the city. Lissie thanked the Theater Stage Manager and crew that she has worked with for years. There is still a 50’style music club next door with red leather booths where we had dinner before the concert. Homeless people hung around outside the theater and assured us the theatre doors would open soon. Most of the store windows were boarded up, and a few vintage shops had window displays. The Marque sign said, “Lissie Tonight at 8pm” in black letters and that was all I needed to see.

We were among the first attendees to enter and some the last to leave. We were last in line for Lissie merchandise and departed with a Lisse LP and T-shirts for memories. The theater was smaller than my school gym with no chairs or balcony. We walked up to the front of the stage and stood there for three hours straight with our arms resting on the stage. We danced with the crowd and there was a positive vibe in the hall. The warm-up singer was sick, so two of Lisse’s female band members filled in with their own songs. They have formed their own side band and played Indie songs they wrote. They connected with the audience and basked in their debut round of applause.

Finally, the lights dimmed and a spotlight shone on the star Lissie. She stood under a single spotlight barefoot in a long, white cotton dress. Then she struck a single chord on the guitar and her layered voice filled the venue. I felt like we were sitting in her living room as she shared her life story in bits and pieces through a series of songs. At age 25, Lenny Kravitz signed Lissie up for his opening act on his concert tour. Her first song was released in 2009 and the rest is music history. Lissie’s style included a mixture of Rock, Pop, Country, and Folk Music. 

        Recently, Lissie went on a European tour. She sang songs about her boyfriend's pandemic break up, giving up alcohol, and writing her new LP. You might recognize her first famous song, “Wild West” from the “Twin Peaks” TV series. She is also a Harry Potter fan. Lissie was honest, engaging, and humble. We all wanted to give her a huge hug and tell her that everything will be all right. Lisse has returned to the stage in full force with a new boyfriend and new songs.

At age 39, she is a force to be reckoned with in the music world. Check her out!