I know this blog is supposed to be about Chicago music but I was in Dallas for a week and was able to take a break from my conference to see a couple of performances, the most notable of which was Lissie. Before leaving for Dallas I googled "Dallas music scene" and stumbled upon the Granada and her show. After watching her on you tube, I was fairly certain the show would not disappoint. Lissie Maurus is from Rock Island, IL and now lives in California. She was scheduled to play at Lincoln Hall in Chicago on October 17th but cancelled due to having a sore throat. She is currently on a european tour with another one of my favorite performers, Joshua Radin.
The venue, The Granada, had a cool vertical marquis and had an old retro/historic feel along the lines of the Riviera. This area in Dallas is considered to be more "yuppie" (according to the cab driver) but would not be considered so by Chicago standards. It was no Lincoln Park or Gold Coast. There was a great sushi place however across the street (The Blue Fin) which was on the pricey side (translation, Yuppie) but worth it. At the Granada, you can purchase seats for a bit more $$ or go with standing room only. For this show and at this point in Lissie's career (at least as far as Dallas fans), there was plenty of standing room. The sound was great from the balcony or from the floor. Lissie is a down to earth midwestern girl, wearing no make up, faded jeans, and standing barefoot on stage. Her music is a blend of folk rock and indie/Americana. She has an amazing voice that reminds you of a fusion of Brandi Carlisle/Neko Case/Patti Griffin and Emmylou Harris fans will not be disappointed either. Not a bad combo if you can put those four together. If she reschedules her Chicago show, I am there! I bought her latest CD, Catching A Tiger and each song is a winner. She has a wide vocal range and diversity in her style of writing. When she is delivering her lyrics live you won't want to be anywhere but front and center. To check out her bio and for more information on future gigs, check out Lissie's website. The show gets a 5 out of 5 guitar rating.
Check out this stripped down acoustic version of "Little Lovin'":
And Lissie really nails this cover of Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance":
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