Lissie: Paper Jams

Paper Jams

Lissie was on the phone when I walked outside to greet her in front of the Quad-City Times building. Her pick-up truck, which she named Pearl, was parked and she was carrying her guitar. She saw me, offered a big hug and mouthed a "Hello." When the call was over, Lissie explained she had a long list of things to sort out ahead of her trips to Tennessee for Bonnaroo and to Norway. But she was happy to drive across the river from her parents' house in Rock Island for a visit in the newsroom. After we took the elevator up the steps, she sat down on the green chair, kicked off her Birkenstocks and took a few more sips of a can of LaCroix that she brought with her. She played two songs, "Blood & Muscle" and "Best Days" off of her latest album, "Castles. Her voice completely filled up the room and her bare feet moved around as she sang and, at times, it looked like she wanted to stand. At some point during the eight minutes we were live, I had to remind myself to not worry about the Internet connection or anything that was going wrong and just enjoy seeing one of my favorite artists so up-close and stripped down. I've been reporting on music for the Quad-City Times for two and a half years, so I think I can say with confidence that Lissie is a Quad-City musical icon. Just about everyone involved in the music scene here knows her songs, loves her voice and her "Pursuit of Happiness" cover. What I've come to know, after a handful of interviews with Lissie, is that the person behind the music is just as likable as the music. Lissie was in town over the weekend to host and headline the 7th annual Laura's Legacy benefit concert, which she started to honor the memory of her aunt Laura. It's the one occasion per year that Lissie counts on being back in her hometown, though she has been able to spend more time here since moving from California to a farm in northeast Iowa about two years ago. This summer, Quad-Citians also have a chance to see Lissie headline a Fourth of July show at Codfish Hollow in Maquoketa, Iowa. After playing for our Facebook page and a small crowd in the newsroom, Lissie slipped her sandals back on and thanked everyone for listening. We walked back outside together and she said she was off to visit her sister and nephews and nieces while she was on this side of the river. "I'm sure there will be another reason soon for us to talk," she said, before saying, "See you later." She got back into Pearl and drove away. Written by Amanda Hancock, Quad-City Times Photo by Andy Abeyta, Quad-City Times Lissie performed at 2 p.m. Monday, June 4, 2018.