MUSIC PREVIEW: Indie star Lissie stars at the Starlite Room
From her home base on her farm in Iowa, Lissie has become an indie sensation.
The Indiana-born country-folk artist seen every one of her first four studio albums grab a spot in the top 15 of the US Folk chart, and the last two have accomplished the same feat on the US Indie chart. Many of her tracks have graced movies and television shows since her very first releases, with notable inclusions in Veronica Mars, House, Grey’s Anatomy, and Californication.
Playing at the Starlite Room on Thursday night, Lissie is known known to have an intense energy onstage, her live gigs having become fairly legendary in many respects, whilst her studio recordings are much more polished, much more refined. So it’s no surprise that for many fans,the two live recordings she’s already released – 2011’s Live At Sheperd’s Bush Empire, and 2016’s Live At Union Chapel – are perhaps even more important to her catalog. Both are tremendously historic venues, with many other artists releasing live recordings from the two sites, including Procol Harum, All About Eve, and Ezio.
For her other fans more enticed by the studio recordings, Lissie went even further this year, releasing a sort-of “best of,” with stripped down versions of various tracks, played with nothing but a piano, in an album she titled When I’m Alone: The Piano Retrospective. It also includes a cover of Dreams by Fleetwood Mac, one of her biggest influences.
Opening for Lissie is a local that has been around the music scene for a lot longer than one would think: Rebecca Lappa. She’s been nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award a very impressive five times already, and has one win to her name. She’s also won the coveted Adult Alternative Recording of the Year award from the Edmonton Music Awards.
Show at 8 pm, advance tickets $17.50 and up, BUY.
Thursday 12
Leahy – These eight siblings from Ontario haven’t released a new album since 2007, but are still extremely popular across most of the nation. Their blend of country, folk, and Celtic music includes a cadre of fiddles as part of their instrumentation, in addition to mandolins, banjos, and other accoutrement. Festival Place, 7:30 pm, $45.25 and up. BUY
Friday 13
Jitensha – This duo out of Montreal featuring David Martinez and Erin Rose Hubbard are decidedly in the indie pop camp, a sort of cross between Vampire Weekend and Phoenix. They’re touring to support their sophomore full-length Periscope, released just last month. They also do a version of Dreams. Naked Cyber Cafe, 8 pm, NO COVER
Saturday 14
Highbernation – This psychedelic stoner project anchors a heavy-hitter lineup around some pretty heavy musical genres. Other performers this night include Vancouver rockers Sids, doom metal band Tarot from Medicine Hat, and thrash project Misery Tomb. Sewing Machine Factory, 8:30 pm, $10.
Lauriers – The same night, over in the Inglewood area at Arcadia, this indie-alt band headlines an evening that also includes folk rock band White Hot Lizards, garage-punk from Fifteen Pounds Of Beets (they’re never going to get that fuchsia color out of their fingers), and Sean Griffin. 7:30 pm, $15.
