words by James Taylor
Writers get excited about new artists all the time. A big name rock critic sees a tiny garage band play in a dive bar in Austin, and the next thing you know he’s writing about how they’re the next big thing. A tastemaking .tv site captures an exclusive performance at a private after party, and the blogsophere is a buzz.
The first time I heard Lissie on Minneapolis’ “The Current” I had only one reaction: this is the breakout artist of 2010, I’m calling it now. Seeing her perform live at Central Presbyterian Church in Austin, TX merely confirmed this assumption. Lissie, standing like a dirty angel under the cross performing to a room of kids, teenagers and college students mostly due to the headlining City and Colour, singing, wailing, about angels following her home – pretty freakin epic if you ask me.
Stripped down, Lissie live is joined by a drummer/bassist and electric guitar to accompany her acoustic. Lissie’s voice is the focus, live and on record, her impassionate cries of “tell me how is the way to go” sounding larger than life on this night. Lissie’s band never fights her for attention, her hired guns sitting perfectly in the pocket, allowing the songstress to shine, complimenting her with three part harmonies and doing their best to match her passion.
Songs like “Lotta Lovin” were written with revivalist fervor, foot stomping get down music that swells to epic levels in the high-ceilinged halls of Central Presbyterian. Lissie’s overworked vocal chords echo beautifully throughout the church on “Everywhere I Go,” the rich gospel of her ode to the mighty Miss, “Oh Mississippi,” haunting and unnerving. With so many references to angels and heaven and a rich gospel influence flowing through her music, I can’t possibly thing of a better spot to see Lissie perform.
The young and talented LA-transplant Lissie had a lot to prove this night, as I’m sure she will on many other nights this make-or-break year, and on many nights that led to this one. Black-clad and swoopy-banged, the Generation Warped Tour crowd seemed out of place sitting in a church witnessing Lissie’s Americana-folk revivalism. They were there to see Dallas Green, pseudonym City and Colour, of Canadian screamo veterans Alexisonfire. They left talking about Lissie, I’m sure.
Lissie’s blue collar ways, her midwestern charm and unnerving honesty draws people to her music. Tours with Ray LaMontagne, Lenny Kravitz, and too some degree, City and Colour, will only help do that.
