The Campus Activities Board’s (CAB) Acoustic Coffeehouse Series returned on Thursday, Feb. 15 with singer-songwriter Lissie and opener Chris McClenney. Hot chocolate, coffee, apple cider, and chai tea were served with cookies, and five Clinton Pottery Mugs were sold in a raffle.
Chris McClenney is a 23-year-old musician from Maryland whose music takes inspiration from many different genres, including jazz, hip hop, and electronic. His set at Hamilton favored his electronic tastes, as he warmed the crowd up by DJ-ing an array of upbeat, electronic mixes, sampling from popular songs including, “This is How We Do It,” “Finesse,” “Too Good,” and “Rock With You.” He departed from the typical vibe of coffeehouse music, making it a surprising opening to the raw, stripped down music of Lissie. Yet, it helped bring more excitement and energy to the crowd after a tiring week of classes.
Lissie is a 35-year-old singer-songwriter who channels folk and rock aspects into her songs. Lissie performed acoustic versions of an array of songs spanning her four albums. She introduced herself with a guitar and a powerful voice that had both a commanding and intimate quality to it. Her warm and friendly personality took control of the entire Barn throughout the night.
Lissie showcased her strong vocal skills in songs such as “Shameless” by boldly declaring her opinions on the inauthentic state of the music industry. She performed her most well-known song, “When I’m Alone,” in a slower tempo, while maintaining a voice that conveyed the passion of love and the undeniable dependence one can develop towards a person. In one of the songs, “Blood and Muscles,” her voice climbed towards higher registers as she belted out, “I want a love that’s made of blood and muscle.”
Lissie’s honest and expressive songwriting showed her talents as a storyteller, as well. She explained that she has been writing music since she was fifteen and has been using songwriting as a way to document her life’s journey for the past twenty years.
The artist gave some background on her life, sharing in her song, “Oh Mississippi,” about how she grew up in Rock City, Illinois along the Mississippi River. Lissie continued to show how writing music has become a method of reaction towards the world. “It’s always relevant to empower women,” the songstress said to the audience before singing her song, “Daughters.”
The vulnerability of her songs gave Lissie an intimate quality found next to her dominating voice. “Don’t You Give Up On Me,” captured the emotions of desperately clinging to someone you care about. Her lyrics continued to be an example of emotional depth, with lines such as, “And, you keep on reminding me of a darkness only I can see.” “Everywhere I Go,” from her first album, asked for relief from suffering, as Lissie repeated the phrase, “And, I will fall on my knees.” The singer lamented a lost love in the song, “In Sleep,” singing, “In sleep is the only place I see him, get to love him.” Another new song, “Best Days,” showed the singer developing a sense of inner peace and optimism towards life as she sang, “The best days of my life are coming for me.”
Lissie will be releasing her fourth album “Castles,” on March 23 of this year. There is no denying that her music reflects the vibrancy of a natural performer and the emotional depth of a person constantly growing with their music. She provided a show filled with stories and electrifying vocals that fit perfectly into Hamilton CAB’s Acoustic Coffeehouse Series.
