Lisa Hannigan at the Troubadour

Last night I had the pleasure of seeing Lisa Hannigan at the Troubadour. Most people don’t know who she is which I think is a shame because she has such a beautiful voice. Then again, I think this about all the artists I love. Why kind of fan would I be otherwise? I know of her because she used to sing with Damien Rice, another artists a lot of people haven’t heard of which is also a shame, in my opinion. Their voices were a thing of beauty together. One, the perfect complement to the other. Alas, after Rice’s second, and to date, last album, 9, they went their separate ways, which as a fan of both of them, was really disappointing. I continue to support both and hope that one day they're able to collaborate again. But back to Lisa...

First of all, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how absolutely adorable she is. There is no other word for it. She is adorable. She has, at times, childlike mannerisms and speaks in a sweet, barely audible whisper; almost shy but not quite that, and charming just the same. She’s tiny and the only female on a stage full of men and while she’s not overly theatrical, you can’t take your eyes off of her when she's up there singing. I’m not a music critic, so I couldn’t break the show down in that way unfortunately. All I can say is that she doesn’t disappoint in person. Her set is quiet and low key, but beautiful and full of emotion. Her cover of Personal Jesus is an absolute departure from the original but she absolutely makes it her own

I stuck around to meet her after the show along with a handful of people. As I mentioned, she’s a tiny wisp of a girl and up close she’s really quite beautiful. Let me clarify: I’ve always thought she was really cute, but honestly, when she stands in front of you in the flesh, her cheeks flushed red, her dark hair shiny and her green eyes sparkling, it's quite different than seeing her in pictures and beautiful seems more apt. She looked delicate and graceful even while just holding her bottle of Heineken and chatting up the small group gathered around her. She was generous with her time and very sweet. She seemed comfortable making small talk and spoke to everyone who waited as if they were friends rather than perfect strangers, taking her time with each one, making sure to get their names and ask questions in return to whatever they said to her. Just could not have been lovelier.

Lastly, I want to mention that this was my first time at the Troubadour, which I almost can’t believe because I go to so many shows. Though to be fair, only in the last couple of years have I started listening to the kind of artists that would play a venue like the Troubadour. I was excited to go there because of its history and the amount of bands and artists that have played there. If you’re a music fan and are not familiar with it, I encourage you to have a look at their history . It’s really quite impressive.

The place is as small as I thought it would be. Immediately upon entering, you’re facing the side of the stage above which a lone, small blue neon sign announces it’s the “Troubadour”. Directly across from the front of the stage is a bar and above that, a small loft-like space with bench seating. I quite enjoyed the experience of standing there and trying to picture all the artists who’d played there over the years. Thinking about things like how it's the last place Janis Joplin was seen alive, even if that is a bit creepy. I very much enjoyed just being there and taking it all in.

Though this was my first time there, I’m already planning to go back next week for The Features which I amvery excited about. But for now I’m just going to let my Lisa Hannigan experience sink in and enjoy it for aday or two.

Lisa's debut album is Sea Sew

 

(This was originally published Nov. 11, 2009 on my previous blog)