December 21, 2006
Lili went out with a bang for her last show of 2006! She participated in the "Philly Bands Together" benefit extravaganza at World Cafe Live December 20TH. This monster show had acts performing simultaneously on both the upstairs and downstairs stage. This was the premiere of Dave "Boz” Bozenhard, Lili’s new guitarist from the Dream Again Band. They took the downstairs stage a few minutes before 9:00pm and did a version of “Over You” displaying Boz’s extraordinary playing. Later in the night Lili and Boz did a second set on the upstairs stage around 11:00pm. The World Café premiere of a stripped down “I’m Sorry” from the forthcoming “Dream Again” album was played first. Lili’s scatting along with Boz’s solo gave everyone a small taste of what to expect at the CD release show in January. Then “The Way Out” ended 2006 with a huge bang! Next stop JANUARY 13TH, 2007 AT WORLD CAFÉ LIVE with THE DREAM AGAIN BAND. The fabulous NORA WHITTAKER BAND will also be on the card and opening the show will be Philly Local favorite, CHELSEA MITCHELL. The word is that tickets are selling fast for this show. Reservations are highly recommended in order to guarantee seating.
December 8, 2006
Last night at the Bitter End the fans came by train, car, bus and foot. Lili had fans as far as Milford, Connecticut for this cold "bitter" night with light flurries in the air. The energy level was extremely high and Lili was accompanied by the man who co-produced her new CD "Dream Again", Cooke Harvey. Fans who had not seen Lili perform in New York City since her Singer/Songwriter show in April, were treated to new material. From the forthcoming "Dream Again" CD Lili and Cooke delivered: "Try Again", the revamped "Over You", "Dream Again" and the hard-hitting "Temporary Amnesia." Some of Lili's longtime diehard fans were dancing and singing along to "Nothing In Common", "Thin Line" and "The Way Out." Lili may be returning to New York in the months to come for her New York CD release show. Keep an eye on the concert section for a date to be confirmed.
December 2006 DREAM AGAIN IS HERE!!!
Lili's third CD "Dream Again" has been mastered and is now being manufactured.
Pre-orders are being taken before the official January 13, 2007 release at World Cafe Live. Visit the audio secttion and purchase the new CD on sale for only $10.99! This special is for a limited time only.
Nov 9, 2006 Steel City Sessions
Although the torrential rain clobbered the city most of the day, the hurricane inside the Steel City Coffeehouse delivered by Lili and Cooke was more powerful than any rain storm. In the new Wednesday night "Steel City Sessions" Lili and Cooke performed over an hour which prompted the audience to scream for more! For a Wednesday night there was a decent turnout. Gillian Grassie (who was also on the bill) joined Lili and Cooke for “Baby When.” The rarely played “Thin Line” also saw the light of day. Lili had new fans who discovered her from the Phil Roy show, another group who discovered Lili on MySpace and yet another fan who came out with a group and remembered Lili from her show last year with Christine Havrilla. Lili also had some regulars who attend mostly every show. This was indeed a great show in spite of the bad weather. Lili posed for pictures, signed autographs and hung out with her fans after her set.
Nov 2, 2006
This past Tuesday night Lili's new song got prime time airplay on WXPN! Lili's cover of "Down To Zero", the Joan Armatrading hit from 1976, kicked off the 9:00pm Philly Local show. Good chance this will end up on Lili's new CD. More news about the progress of the new CD in the weeks to come.
OCT 29, 2006 - MESMERIZING STEEL CITY
Lili and Cooke’s performance last night at the Steel City Coffeehouse was perfect in every sense of the word. Although Cooke had been performing with Lili over the past year, this was his debut working with Lili at this packed house venue. And what a debut it was! Although Lili had not performed in Phoenixville since her Colonial Theater show in June, she was not without fans. A small group made the trip from Philly and New Jersey. Other fans knew about Lili from airplay she had been receiving at top radio satellite stations like XM Radio XM Radio is giving Lili airplay on two of their programs: The Loft and XM Café. From the opening song “Try Again” the audience was pleasantly captured. The soap opera inspired tune “Nothing In Common” put smiles on people’s faces. Lili was on her own for “The Wrong Time”, which later in the night prompted CD sales. Lili and Cooke had a lot of fun with the hard-hitting, bass-driven “Temporary Amnesia” dedicated to a couple Lili met right before taking the stage. Next came the working title song from her upcoming CD, “Dream Again.” Jaws dropped, tears flowed and the audience was totally entranced. Lili’s set ended with a big bang performing the beat-driven, clap along, man’s-gotta-do-what- a man’s gotta-do “The Way Out.” The night ended with Lili signing autographs, selling CDs and mingling with new fans. Next stop is November 8th as Lili returns to the Steel City Coffeehouse in their new Wednesday night “Steel City Sessions” series.
OCT 8 - PACKED HOUSE AT TIN ANEL
Lili performed to a near sold-out crowd at Tin Angel last night! She was accompanied by her fabulous bass player, Cooke Harvey. She kicked off the show with the unreleased, harmony-driven "Try Again" and then shifted to the fan-favorite "Over You" from the Laughed Last CD. A couple of more new songs were debuted. "Temporary Amnesia" had the audience laughing at Lili's onstage antics about a partner pretending to lose their memory in order to end a relationship. This song was put together so well with Cooke's strong bass lines, Lili's excellent guitar playing and her scorching vocal harmonies. Another premiere was the beautiful ballad "It's You Again." This one showcased just how versatile Lili's performance could be. She also continued to fine-tune "Dream Again" which was dedicated to a friend in the audience. The song seems to get stronger and stronger each time it's performed. After Lili's set, several fans inquired if "Dream Again" was on either one of the current CDs. Lili has quite a line-up of new songs that she's preparing to record. "Dream Again" will definitely make it to the new CD. More about that in future news updates. The Tin Angel show was a huge success with a strong fan-base of support and once again new fans were gained. Make sure you catch the next show at Steel City Coffeehouse, where Lili will open for the one and only Phil Roy.
September 29, 2006
Already posted in the concert schedule is Lili's upcoming gig at Tin Angel Oct 7th supporting Kyle Justin's CD release party and the return to Steel City Coffeehouse on Oct 28th. Lili is very excited about opening for Phil Roy at Steel City. Phil is well known for writing many hit songs for other artists, but is also a very talented performer in his own right.
August 28th - SOLD OUT SHOW IN MT HOLLY!!!
Sunday August 27th, Lili opened for Jeffrey Gaines to a packed house at the Bridgetown Pub in Mt Holly, NJ. This was Lili's second time working with Jeffrey, and like the time before at Steel City Coffeehouse, the show was sold out! Lili worked up a storm and managed to capture the attention of the audience, which the majority came for Mr. Gaines. All in all it was great night with Lili signing autographs and posing for photos afterwards. One fan stated that Lili was a nice surprise. Another fan said she didn't expect this and the group she came with usually doesn't care much for the opener, but Lili was different. It was also pleasant to get positive feedback from one of the staff saying that he recognized Lili from the Phillies game when she sang "God Bless America!" Lili continues to win new fans and will be performing many more gigs as soon as all the details are tied down. Stay tuned!
August 20, 2006 LILI RETURNS TO TIN ANGEL!
Lili will be returning to Tin Angel for a Saturday show in October. If you've never been to Tin Angel Acoustic Cafe, it has an intimate setting, perfect for a listening audience. There are a handful of advance tickets that can be purchased by contacing Lili. Up and coming local artist, Kyle Justin asked Lili to be part of his CD release party. Check out Kyle Justin's MySpace to sample some tunes. Also on the card will be The Sisters Three and Joshua Heard Park.
August 19, 2006 LILI GROOVES WITH GROOVELILY!
Lili was accompanied by her bassist extraordinaire, Cooke Harvey and treated the Sellersville crowd to an exceptional performance. Lili opened for the popluar trio, Grooveliliy. The audience at the beautiful Sellersville Theatre was with Lili from the moment she took the stage, cracked a joke and delivered "Over You." Cooke joined in for "Not A Tear" and the crowd was very receptive and enthusiastically applauded. Lili's intro to "The Wrong Time" once again captivated the crowd and later motivated CD sales. The haunting "If" with Lili and Cooke's harmonic interaction was performed incredibly well. Once again "Dream Again" won over a new audience with it's uplifting message. Lili made an impression to say the least and sold CDs and signed autogrpahs afterwards! Lili stuck around for Groovelily's performance and the band called Lili back on stage for a curtain bow. A very classy move by a classy group of talented performers! Next stop, Mt Holly, New Jersey August 27th where Lili will once again open for Jeffrey Gains!!!
August 13, 2006 LILI SINGS AT CITIZENS BANK PARK!
Lili got to perform to a stadium-size crowd at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia when the Phillies took on the Reds. During the 7th inning stretch the crowd was treated to "God Bless America." Lili nailed it and got tremendous feedback from many of the fans in attendance. It was a thrill to see Lili bigger than life on the jumbotron! Next stop, The Sellersville Theatre, Friday August 18th.
August 12, 2006 LILI TAKES MEDIA BY STORM!
This was Lili's first time performing at the Media Theatre in Media, PA and the room was filled to capacity! The crowd was treated to Lili's brand of soulful, heartfelt singing that you have to experience live; the CDs are on another level. This was an awesome listening audience that got it! Lili opened the show, like she did a few nights earlier at WCL, with the unreleased "Try Again", and from that point on the crowd followed her closely. "Over You" was another crowd pleaser along with "The Wrong Time." The beautiful, newly-written "Dream Again" had jaws dropping and tears flowing. Lili's second to the last song of her set was the rarely played, unreleased scorcher "I Don't Need You This Way." The last song "The Way Out" inspired a clap along. After the show a long line of people purchased CDs and requested autographs! Lili is sure to return to Media again in the near future!
August 8, 2006 THE BEST AUDIENCE SO FAR AT WCL!
For a Tuesday night at World Café Live where you may get a few walk-ins for an after work drink, there was indeed a listening audience! Lili kicked off her set with an unreleased gem titled “Try Again.” That set the mood for one of Lili’s best shows in Philadelphia. Since her first performance at WCL a year ago, this was, as Lili put it, “the most incredibly attentive audience at World Café Live upstairs.” Lili was solo, without bassist, Cooke Harvey and sung up a storm with soul, heart and conviction. There was no chatter during her set and the audience roared at the end of each song. Lili’s mix of genres was in full force when she pulled out the reggae-flavored “See My Way” and a newly written song of hope called “Dream Again” which held the audience captive. Lili hit the audience with a one-two punch of songs from both her CDs LAUGHED LAST and HI-OCTANE COFFEE which were made available at the show. Lili mingled and autographed CDs after the show and proved that people do step out for music on a weekday! Next stop is the Media Theatre on 8/12 and Citizens Bank Park 8/13 where Lili will sing “God Bless America” during the 7th inning stretch of the Phillies vs Reds game.
July 25, 2006 LILI DELIVERS BIGTIME AT MAKOR!
Lili was asked to be part of the "Under The Radar" Series hosted by John Platt of NPR station WFUV in NYC. Lili shared the stage with the remarkable guitarist Vicki Genfan and Australian born Greg Tannen. The Makor located on West 67th St in Manhattan, had just the right intimate setting and extraordinary sound system for a night where three artists could feed off the audience's undivided attention and applause. Lili played last and you could hear a pin drop during her haunting performance of "If" accompanied by bassist, Cooke Harvey. Lili's NY fanbase showed loyal support and before the night was over she managed to win over many new fans.
July 22, 2006
Lili at the 5th Annual PA Singer/Songwriter Festival in Lewisburg, PA. In spite of a rainstorm earlier during the day, fans from all over came out to the festival! There were 17 performances which began 11:30 AM on Saturday July 22nd and ended around 5:30 PM on Sunday July 23rd. This was Lili's first time performing there and she was well received.
July 16, 2006 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WFUV "Sunday Breakfast City Folk" aired the taping of Lili's interview. John Platt was such a gracious host asking all the right questions. The full interview and performances will soon be posted with a link in the Concert Schedule Section of Lili's website.
July 11, 2006
Lili and Cooke thrill the crowd at World Café Live as part of the Beta Hi-Fi show. Also performing was Vanida Gail, Roia Rafieyan and Betsy Spivak. Lili had a great turnout of Philly and New Jersey supporters who were also treated to thrree other fine performers.
July 9, 2006
Lili was asked to perform "God Bless America" during the Phillies vs Reds game August 13th! Come to the game for an afternoon of fun and a BIG voice!
Lili was added to the "Hot Summer Saturdays" concert series in Mt Holly, NJ. Since this was very last minute, the Mt Holly website doesn't have Lili's name posted, but she will in fact be there! So, New Jersey, come to the show! Philly, Delaware, NY and Media supporters are invited also!
June 29, 2006
Once again Lili is pictured and mentioned in WXPN's May/June issue of "Xpress" magazine for her participation at the Hive Lounge for this year's Philadelphia Flower Show.
June 25, 2006
After Lili's knockout performance earlier this month, opening for Richie Havens, she continued to perform in and around the area. On the 8th she did an "Evening with" at Milkboy Coffee in Ardmore, PA, on the 10th she returned to World Cafe opening for Milton & The Devil's Party (which was another great gig. MDP joined Lili on "Never Ever Say It" and rocked the house!), on the 17th again at World Cafe opening for her party mates Patrick's Head (Lili and PH nailed Lay-Down Play Dead and she joined the boys on Poor Man Shuffle), and back to back nights on the 23rd and 24th in New Jersey at Barrington Coffeehouse and Connie's Cafe where Lili and Cooke headlined. To close out the month Lili is travelling to her old turf in the Bronx where radio station WFUV is recording a show with interviews and performances to be on July 16th. Lili will again be accompanied by her fabulous bass player and collaberator, Cooke Harvey.
June 4, 2006
You could hear a pin drop at the Colonial Theatre last night when Lili opened for music legend, Richie Havens. Lili kicked off her set with Say It Isn't True from the "Laughed Last" CD. From that point on the audience was hers. Lili told the story of how she had seen Richie perform years ago at City College (City College of The City University of New York) where she was a student, how she met him backstage and that he was the inspiration for her buying a Guild guitar. This was a perfect gig with a perfect listening audience! Lili won over many new fans! Her reputation as a relevant songwriter and performer continues to grow. Next stop is Milkboy Coffee where Lili will be the featured headliner.
May 25, 2006
Shortly after Lili's great night of music and talk at mainstream radio station WSTW in Delaware, Lili was contacted to be a part of John Platt's show at WFUV in New York City. Visit the Concert Schedule for details.
May 18, 2006
Lili has just been confirmed to open for music legend, Richie Havens! The gig is a "Point Entertainment" show and will be held at The Colonial Theater in Phoenixville, PA on June 3. Visit the concert section for details.
April 15, 2006
As Alana Davis put it: "I wanna thank Lili, she sang her ass off; she's a badass bitch." Lili's first time at the North By Northwest club opening for Alana Davis, was stellar to say the least! Accompanied by bassist extraordinaire, Cooke Harvey, the performance was well recieved by a majority of Alana Davis supporters. Lili and Cooke performed several songs from Laughed Last including "On The Run", "Baby When", and "Never Ever Say It." From Hi-Octane "Lay-Down Play Dead" rocked the house. The haunting "If" raptly held the audience while Cooke and Lili interplayed on their instruments respectively with harmonics and rythmn; "2 Much Better" was a usual stand-out. Closing the set, the sizzling, red-hot "The Way Out" left everyone breathless! Next stop The Pontiac Grille, April 22.
April 11, 2006
We just discovered that the Sunday, March 19th edition of the Courier Post did a writeup on Lili's February 24th stellar performance at Perkins Center For The Arts. This was a full page article with a very nice photo shoot! Check it out in the Critics Review section.
April 8, 2006
Once again Lili is receiving attention from the media. A very nice article was printed in Friday's edition of the Courier Post! Check out the link in the Critics Review section.
April 6, 2006
The reissue of LAUGHED LAST is here! Palmetto Records was gracious enough to give Lili the master tape. It was professionally pressed and packaged and is being made available through Lili's website. For purchasing CDs visit the audio section. The digipak packaging with recent photos of Lili is absolutely stunning! The sound, although not remastered, is a couple of notches better than the orginal pressing from 1994 and with three live bonus tracks clocking in over 15 minutes of additional music!
March 25, 2006
Lili's music continues to get airplay! New York has jumped on the Lili express. Recently WFUV from Fordham University played "Down By The Water" and more recently WSTW in Delaware, who was playing "The Way Out", played "Lay-Down Play Dead." In addition, the Patrick's Head song "Poor Man Shuffle" featuring Lili on backing vocals continues to get played regularly on WXPN. March has been a great month as Lili's music is supported by radio stations. Several gigs are scheduled for April along with the re-release of Laughed Last, including 3 bonus tracks. More on that next month.
March 5, 2006
CNotes, an internet radio station, selected Lili as one of the top 25 Independent Artists for 2005! This is huge since internet radio is on a national/international level exposing Lili's music to a much larger audience!
March 3, 2006
Once again, due to last minute circumstances unforseen, the World Café was in need of a strong opening act. With absolutely no preparation and not even a sound check, Lili opened for Teddy Thompson to a very receptive crowd. This was so last minute that the tickets were already printed without's Lili's name. Teddy's famous parents were a huge act in the 70s as part of Fairport Convention. Lili pulled out all the stops winning over new fans with this surprise 40 minute set.
February 25, 2006
Last year I thought the September 9th Tin Angel show couldn't be topped. Then there was Steel City Coffee House opening for Jeffrey Gaines. How could Lili do better than that? Last night at the Perkins Center For The Arts in Moorestown, NJ, I was privileged to witness the finest performance of Lili's career since her move to Philadelphia. This is a venue that only has seven musical acts a year. Lili was honored to be part of that elite group of musicians. This time Lili was not an opening act nor did she have an opening act. The audience was there to see her and this was a true listening audience.
February 22, 2006
February 21st Lili was the headliner at the World Café and performed a stellar forty five minute set with the super talented bassist, Cooke Harvey. Lili premiered her shinny new electric Gretsch taking her music to new heights. Chris Kasper was the host and opened the show with some very cool tunes and then Cooke did a fine job of playing the bass on his own solo set. Cooke and Lili make a great team and the chemistry between them couldn't be better. Next stop is Perkin's Center for the Arts this Friday the 24th.
February 20, 2006
Lili returned to the stage again at the World Café on February 19th and joined Patrick's Head for a killer performance of "Poor Man Shuffle" during the Philly Rising competition.
February 11, 2006
Lili's show at the World Café on the 10th opening for Patrick's Head was a lot of fun. Lili began working with an extraordinary bassist, Cooke Harvey. This was Cooke's premiere contributing his talents to Lili's songs and it was just what the doctor ordered. Lili had won over some of the fans from Patrick's Head and received a warm reception.
February 8, 2006
SUPER BIG NEWS!!! Lili was asked to sing THE NATIONAL ANTHEM at the highly anticipated Penn vs Princeton baskeball game! To top it off it will be broadcasted on CN8 the Comcast Network!!!! For details go to the concert schedule section.
February 6, 2006
Great news!!! Lili, John Byrne and Scott Wikander from Patrick's Head will be featured on the Philly local show WXPN 88.5 February 7th! There will be interviews and live music. Helen Leicht is the host and the show aires at 9:00pm. WXPN broadcasts the show in three cities and is streamed over the internet worldwide!
January 21, 2006
On January 20, when the soundman, George, announced "Welcome to the Tin Angel. Would you please put your hands together for John from Patrick's Head", instead of Lili, you knew the evening was going to be anything but ordinary.
January 8, 2006
The January 7th show at Steel City Coffeehouse was Lili in her finest hour! No doubt this was the best show Lili has performed since arriving in Philadelphia in 2004. There was an energy in the air that words can't quite describe. You had to be there and experience it for yourself. Lili's storytelling was condensed, since Steel City is very strict about keeping everything on schedule and a half hour of music had to be squeezed in. But, Lili seemed to get in a few funny remarks, enough to give the audience a sense of her charisma. "Nothing In Common" kicked things off to the crowd's delight. Lili had a special guest with Gillian Grassie lending her talents playing harp on "Baby When?" from the "Laughed Last" album. Wow what a team! Lili ended her set with "The Way Out" doing her best male mockery with the line "Man's gotta do what a man's gotta do." Yes, this was Lili's audience almost as much as it was Jeffrey Gaines'. After her set she sold CDs, signed autographs and took pictures with her fans.
January 2006
The January 7th Steel City Coffee House show is SOLDOUT! A concert review will follow.
LAST SHOW OF 2006
If you haven't heard by now, the NEW LILI BASEBALL SHIRT IS HERE! Visit the audio section or the front index page for details. Next stop is December 20th where Lili will be part of a benefit concert at World Cafe Live!
Lili had been premiering some of these songs at shows here and there. Now you can hear them fleshed out with guitars, bass, drums, strings and vocal harmonies extreme!
The CD was co-produced by Lili and the multi-talented Cooke Harvey. It was mastered by Marc Moss. Top notch musicians on the CD include: Dave "Boz" Bozenhard - guitars, John DiGiovanni - drums, percussion, Cooke - upright and electric bass, piano and textures. Words can't decribe the tremendous effort that was put into creating this beautiful CD! Cooke deserves special recognition for his co-producing, recording and mixing skills! The album has textures like never heard on Lili's first 2 CDs. There are a total of 14 tracks. Lili revamped 2 songs from Hi-Octane Coffee; "If" and "Nothing In Common." Now the world gets to hear these 2 songs the way Lili had always intended them to be heard, but didn't have the opportunity to record them that way. They sound closer to what she and Cooke have been performing at shows. Also, a new studio version of "Over You" has been recorded. It's pleasantly different from the live bonus track on "Laughed Last." Lili wrote all the songs except the Joan Armatrading number "Down To Zero", which was initially recorded as part of "Philly Local Sings 1976." Lili was contacted by WXPN's Helen Leicht to record this song in celebration of Helen's 30 years in radio. The song continues to get airplay. Visit the audio section for the complete track list and Mp3 samples. LYRICS! Finally Lili will release her third CD with a 16 page lyric booklet. Again, I say visit the audio section and check out the mp3 samples!
In other news the new CD is taking shape and promises to be Lili’s best work for sure! The preliminary mixes are breathtaking! Stay tuned! Also, Lili version of "Down To Zero" continues to get played on XPN.
In the meantime, keep listening to 88.5 WXPN during Helen Leicht’s morning show and the Tuesday night Philly local program for Lili’s cover of “Down To Zero.” YES YOU HEARD IT RIGHT! Lili had covered this song many times live in the past, but recently laid down a newly recorded studio version of the Joan Armatrading hit. Helen Leicht had requested Lili to record this song in celebration of her 30 year radio anniversary. Joan is one of Lili’s heroes and Lili recorded this with her bass player and producer, Cooke Harvey. Stayed tuned to XPN for the debut!
Lili is being noticed again by the media. Here is what Chad Driscoll from Rhapsody Online had to say:
"Singer-songwriter of Afro-Cuban heritage whose notoriety is spreading well beyond the Big Apple. Anel's deep but supple voice echoes Joni Mitchell's sweet-and-sad-as-honey-tears voice on Blue, but Anel's lyrics are life-affirming and hopeful."
The other big news is Lili booked in a double card with Nora Whittaker and her band. The show will take place at World Cafe Live January 18th 2007. The special thing about this show, besides sharing the stage with Nora, is that Lili will be backed up by a band. YES, YOU READ THIS CORRECTLY, LILI WILL PERFORM WITH A BAND! This will be the first time since her arrival in Philly that Lili has had a full rhythm section on stage. The fire department will be standing by for this red hot show! Keep checking www.worldcafelive.com for tickets.
This happy couple drove in from Delaware for their second time seeing Lili
Lili mingles, signs autographs and takes photos with her fans
Lili with John Platt and Cooke Harvey
LILI IS PERFORMING ALL OVER THE PLACE!
Lili has been premiering new material she plans to record on her next album. Hopefully the CD will be released by the end of this year or early 2007.
BADASS BITCH SANG HER ASS OFF
"LILI ANEL PACKS COFFEHOUSE AT PERKINS CENTER FOR THE ARTS"
Lili's return to The Bitter End in New York this past Monday night was a HUGE success. Lili performed last and received a tremendous ovation from a packed house! The highlight was "Won't You Stay." One of Lili's special friends, Garland Jeffreys, was in attendance and hung out with Lili for the duration of the show. Garland recently performed a WXPN Free At Noon Concert and will be releasing a new CD later this year.
LILI SELECTED IN THE TOP 25 INDEPENDENT ARTISTS OF 2005!
Lili just got booked to do a show at North By Northwest opening for national recording artist, Alana Davis. Lili's music should be complimentary to Alana's making a great night of music.
ABSOLUTE PURE LILI LIVE!
Lili performed 2 sets; the first ran for 55 minutes and after a brief intermission another 45 minutes, including an encore! Accompanying Lili was the amazing Cooke Harvey. Cooke's bass playing gave Lili's music a definitive sound, taking it to a higher level. Lili kicked off the show solo with the powerful Janis Ian cover "From Me To You." Then Cooke joined her for the unreleased "Over You." Within the course of the night Lili pulled out songs from her first CD LAUGHED LAST including: "Tonight"; "On The Run"; "The Wrong Time"; "Dance The Life Away" and the lovely "Baby When." Lili's intros and storytelling never sounded better. This was her in top form with unlimited time, doing what she does best and giving her very all to the crowd, who for the most part were seeing her for the first time. This was a receptive audience that got it! They laughed at the jokes and sighed during the serious intros. It was a delight to see so much audience participation.
From Hi-Octane Coffee Lili performed: "Nothing In Common"; "2 Much Better"; "Not A Tear"; the hot grooving "Thin Line"; the beautiful "No Matter What Love"; the finely crafted "Zora"; the haunting "If" with Cooke adding so much to this song and the rocking, sizzling "The Way Out." Lili also performed "If God Had A Wallet" complete with God calling Lili on the cell phone. You had to be there! For the encore, the rarely played "Won't You Stay" ended the night with Lili winning over new fans in a town that supports the arts. Next stop March 6th at the Philadelphia Flower Show.
OH SAY CAN YOU SEE...
After John's classy intro, Lili strummed her guitar and proceeded to wow the audience with "Not A Tear." If you thought it sounded good on the CD, the live acoustic version is truly the ultimate rendition. When Lili finished someone from the crowd yelled out "You rock!" Then Lili delivered "Nothing In Common" to a fixated crowd. "2 Much Better" was performed next followed by the always beautiful "Zora." For the next number Scott Wikander, from Patrick's Head, joined Lili for a guitar duet on "See My Way." Lili announced "I dedicate this song to all you cheaters…you know who you are." Scott is such an excellent guitarist and gave new life to this reggae-flavored song about infidelity.
For the closer the live Philly premiere of "Lay-Down Play Dead." Lili- "A punk, an Irishmen and a hippie walk into a bar. And then they pick-up this Cuban chick. The rest as they say is history." With that obvious intro, John Byrne and Patrick Mansfield take the stage. Scott hit the first notes with John on tambourine and then Patrick's electric guitar snuck in. Lili played her instrument and sang in top form with John singing dual lead vocals. My god, this was the pièce de résistance of Lili's setlist! For that night, anyway. Certainly it was the strongest, hardest, rocking thing she's done since her arrival in Philadelphia! The audience was in awe! Hearing Lili play solo is always a treat. But, after January 20, 2006 something tells me Lili is getting the itch to resume her role once again as a band leader. Lili once said that "Hi-Octane Coffee" was supposed to have a harder edge. Let's see what the future brings. Next stop, the World Café February 10th once again with Patrick's Head.
When Jeffrey Gaines took the stage, it was obvious that he and Lili hit it off and the audience seemed to pick up on that. Jeffrey complimented Lili and told the crowd that he and Lili would be doing more shows together! Let's hope it's in the near future. At one point a fan shouted out for Lili and Jeffrey to rock it out. Perhaps next time they'll be prepared. Jeffrey played a solid 2 hrs with great stories in between songs. Before Jeffrey left the stage he gave Lili an embrace and then had her join him for a curtain bow. What a classy guy, giving props to his opening act. He mingled with his fans after the show and was gracious enough to allow people to take photos and sign autographs. Lili and Jeffrey definitely had great chemistry working together and I'm sure everyone would love to see them work together again.
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