Lissie and her band were in Colorado again this week for some promotional gigs with KBCO.  A Studio C session was followed by a listener appreciation show at Soiled Dove on Wednesday night.  Those that weren’t lucky enough to win tickets to that performance were treated to a free parking lot gig with Bobby Long in Boulder last night.

Lissie took the small stage just after 9:00pm but didn’t actually perform any music for quite awhile.  For 15 minutes she filled time telling stories about her college years in Colorado, her awful Twitter skills, recording a new album after a trip to Norway, peeing in plastic bags and how she had to get a shot in her ass to perform (due to vocal chord hemorrhaging).  She tried to drag Lewis (on percussion) and Eric (on guitar) into the conversation, but they weren’t having it.  Instead, they let Lissie ramble on while waiting for the opening band inside The Fox Theater to finish up.  The warm night really belonged to the John Butler Trio, whose sold-out performance was just a warm up for Red Rocks tonight.  Lissie was essentially entertainment between the bands on the main stage.

It was 9:15pm before they were given the green light and opened things up with a cover of Hank Williams‘ Wedding Bells.  This would be the only cover of the night despite the pleas for Pursuit of Happiness — a song she would have performed by request if not limited to a 30 min. set time.  ‘it’s just not going to happen — I can’t pick which one of my own songs to cut‘  Lissie has become known for her unique covers of songs by bands as diverse as Lady Gaga, Kid Cudi and Metallica, but I do find it sad that people know her more for that than her own material.  Lissie is not some one trick pony.  She’s not just the funny, barefoot, blonde girl in bell bottom jeans that sings about smokin’ weed and drunk drivin’.  She’s also not the generic, Starbucks soundtrack folkster you hear on her album.  On that stage, in front a 100 or so people, she proved that she should be celebrated for one reason and one reason only — that incredibly strong voice.

The crowd was small and I even heard a few people ask around as to who she was, but by the time Everywhere I Go ended in a little jam session, she had everyone movin’ around. Contorting her body to get the sounds out as loud as possible, you couldn’t help but feel like she was more alive than alive.  Lissie really puts her heart, sweat and soul into every performance and last night’s little show was no exception.

The set ended too early with Little Lovin’, but they stretched it on as long as possible, turning it into a stomp revival of sorts.  Everyone clapping along with Lissie‘s ‘ohhhh-oh-ohh-ohhh-oh-ohh‘ and Eric‘s harmonica.

If the point of this show was for Lissie to gain a few more fans and tease them into coming to the next show, I believe the mission was accomplished.  I heard quite a few people on the way to the bar ‘wow, she’s really good!‘  Yes she is.

Setlist:
Wedding Bells (Hank Williams cover)
Bully
When I’m Alone
Everywhere I Go
In Sleep
Little Lovin’