Last night’s show at the Auction House in Audubon, NJ was a magical night with Lili being accompanied by guitarist, Vincent Parella and bassist Michael Kurman. This is the second time Kurm and Lili have performed together and it’s going great! Vincent’s guitar playing lent a certain colorful ambiance to Lili’s songs. But, before I get too deep into the show, I have to mention Lili’s co-bill performer, Marc Silver and the Stonethrowers. Marc was on stage in a trio configuration of himself on guitar, Mike on upright bass and Sam on mandolin. Marc’s style of original folk/bluegrass is highly recommended. His music will not leave you disappointed. Lili’s show was kicked off with the unreleased potentially radio friendly “Much To My Surprise.” Lili once again surprised the audience, not only with new players on stage, but she dusted off the beautiful “No Matter What Love.” from Hi-Octane Coffee. The song was simply stunning! Let’s hope she keeps this one in the setlist. For another surprise, when was the last time we heard “Not A Tear”? This one also from Hi-Octane. Great version with Vincent and Kurm playing so sweetly. The ever popular “Thin Line” was also added to the line-up. This song was in regular rotation when Lili was performing with The Dream Again Band. So, it was nice to hear it again. The feel-good “Tonight” from Laughed Last also made it to last night’s setlist and then the mesmerizing, romantic, unreleased “Supposed To Be” was executed with style and beauty. “The Way Out” closed the set.
It’s official, Lili will be making her next recording at MorningStar Studios with Grammy Award winning producer Glenn Barratt. MorningStar is a world-class recording studio that has been serving the greater Philadelphia music community for over 25 years. Lili has a batch of new songs that are ready to be recorded and the new CD may come out as early as late summer or fall. Stay tuned! Next stop, Ocean Grove, NJ May 10th. Visit the concert section for details.
On April 19th Lili had a great time onstage at the second official show performing with bassist Mike Kurman! Lili and Mike met last year at World Café Live during the singer/songwriter extravaganza. Lili even dusted off “2 Much Better” for the occasion along with “Tonight” from Laughed Last. It was a great show for a worthy cause in New Hope.
Lili has been confirmed for the HUGE lineup of major and local artists for the 2008 Musikfest in Bethlehem, PA. This is a 10 day festival with approximately 500 performers! Lili is scheduled for August 3rd and will be pulling a double bill, performing on tw different time slots. Visit the concert section for details!
Lili opened last night for folk singer Vance Gilbert and even Vance was surprised that this was the first time he performed at the Tin to a sold out crowd. Coincidence or just good luck? Lili has been building a steady fan base since 2005 and last night’s packed to the walls show was an accumulation of a lot of hard work. It was a brief, but excellent set in spite of her battle with the virus/flu. She was accompanied by the always tasty Cooke Harvey on bass, and Steve Lewis on percussion. The new arrangement of “On The Run” with the extended percussion solo at the end was a real crowd pleaser. No less than three unreleased songs including Can’t Fall Out of Love, I Drove and Supposed to Be were performed last night. Lili is still working on material for the new CD and it should be ready later this year, hopefully by late spring or summer. In The meantime, final touches are being made to Lili’s first import CD on ESC Records in Germany. As soon as it’s complete, song titles and scans of the CD artwork will be posted. Next stop, Lili will be at the Fuel House Coffeehouse on Saturday- April 12th sharing the stage with Marc Silver. See the concert section for details.
Delaware Station WSTW named Lili "Best Female Rock Vocal" for 2007 as voted by the listeners. This was aired Sunday during the Hometown Heroes program. This was their second annual Homey Awards for local artists. Today 2/12/08 Lili was printed once again in The Intelligencer, a Doylestown newspaper. The article, like the one printed in Montgomery County papers is very in-depth. On their website there are multimedia images taken during the photo shoot. Here’s the link for the images while "Over You" is being played. Here's the link for the featured story titled THE INEVITABLE COMING HOME
Lili’s next big show will be at World Café Live this Friday February 15th co-billing with the very exciting and talented Patrick’s Head. Showtime begins 8:30 and tickets at the door are only $10! It's highly recommended that you order advance tickets and reserve a table.
There were not many empty seats left at the 665 seat Colonial Theater last night in Phoenixville, where Lili opened for the legendary Livingston Taylor. This show was so far Lili’s best performance of 2008 and by all means the most attentive audience since her date with Alejandro Escovedo in Sellersville last year. Jesse Lundy, the promoter from Point Entertainment, pictured above, made the first public announcement of Lili’s recent signing with ESC Records. It was nice to publicly hear that Lili’s music will be distributed in Europe! Last night was a near full house and Lili's brief intimate solo performance was stellar to say the least. Livingston was such a gracious headliner, publicly thanking Lili before and after his set. He is a class act in every sense of the word, not allowing Lili to pay for a copy of his latest CD. Backstage Livingston was very approachable sharing his thoughts with Lili about music. In the lobby after her set Lili was acknowledged by some returning fans that had caught her shows at Steel City Coffeehouse and Chaplin’s. Lili also gained a lot of new fans who were pleasantly surprised by her performance. This was a dream show, a magical night that every musician lives for. This one is going to be hard to top! Next stop, February 15th at World Café Live where Lili will co-bill with her musical soul-mates Patrick’s Head. You don’t want to miss this show. Visit the concert section for details
And HER BIG FULL LENGTH INTERVIEW
2008 promised to be a big year for Lili and as we come to the last day of January, the first BIG news is that Lili has signed a record deal with ESC Records. The German label will distribute Lilis’ music throughout Europe and Japan among other regions. More details to follow along with an official press release. In other news, a wonderful full-page interview was published in the Ticket, which is an Arts & Entertainment section in Montgomery County’s newspapers. It is an in depth Article, where Lili talks about her musical influences and her method of songwriting. Check the Reviews Section of this website to see a full-size scan of the entire article.
Lili had a great night performing for the very first time at McShea's in Narberth, PA! Mike Kurman, who was also on the bill joined Lili for an earth-quaking, hipshaking "Temporary Amnesia" and again on "Nothing In Common." Mike, who usually plays bass, was doing an excellent job on acoustic guitar and surprised Lili by singing harmony vocals. Lili returned the favor later in the night by singing with Mike on a Steely Dan tune. The chemistry between Mike and Lili worked very well. It would be nice to see more of this in the future. Next stop, February 2nd where Lili will do an intimate solo show opening for Livingston Taylor at the beautiful Colonial Theater in Phoenixville. Click the link on the concert section for more info.
Lili’s return to the Barrington Coffeehouse was a huge success. She performed to a standing room only house, where the audience hung onto every word, solo and lick of music. Barrington had a perfect listening room with a perfect listening audience. Once again the combination of Lili with Cooke Harvey on bass and “Super" Steve Lewis on percussion seemed to work very well. A lot of new faces and some repeat fans got treated to the new, unreleased songs and some older favorites, including a very polished killer version of “On the Run” showcasing Steve Lewis’ beats. “If” returned to the setlist with Cooke and Lili executing their amazing harmonics. “Go Home” inspired a clap along and the crowd did in fact keep time. “Temporary Amnesia” also returned to the setlist and featured Steve for the first time. The show ended with an energetic version of “The Way Out.” But, before the night was over a standing ovation was received, and for an encore, Lili pulled out one of the most beautiful songs in her catalogue which had not been played for some time. One of the few songs that she did not write and yet she sings with such passion is “The Wrong Time” credited to her sister, Barbara. So, again no two shows of Lili are the same and not every night has a great listening audience, but last night was certainly one of the best! Lili will be performing Wednesday January 23rd at McShea’s in Narberth, PA. Visit the concert section for details.
Lili did a fantastic show last night at Puck Live performing to a packed house to kick off 2008! The setlist was totally unique with the premiere of 4 new songs! "Much To My Surprise" kicked off the setlist. Lili is trying out newly written songs and preparing to go into the studio. Her band lineup was the same trio that played in New York; Steve Lewis on percussion and Cooke Harvey on bass. "On The Run" never sounded better with "Super" Steve taking the song to new heights. "Go Home" returned to the setlist and Lili added a new verse. Cooke really tore it up. The 3 other new songs included: "Goodbye", "I Drove", and "Can't Fall Out of Love." 2008 is starting off with a bang. Lili was just offered a gig opening for veteran singer/songwriter Vance Gilbert on March 28th. This will be a great show and Tin Angel is a wonderful listening room. Next stop, Lili headlines the Barrington Coffee House in New Jersey next Saturday the 19th with the fabulous Russ Edwards opening. See the concert schedule for details.
Lili was just offered a co-bill at World Cafe Live on Friday February 15th performing with her musical soul mates Patrick's Head. One of the first bands to embrace and befriend Lili when she arrived in Philadelphia was Patrick's Head. They've done a few shows in the past when Lili was asked to open. This time around it'll be a co-bill with Lili playing a full set. Don't miss this exciting show as Lili and the guys have been known to collaborate onstage and in the studio. A couple of years back Lili added vocals to "Poor Man Shuffle" which got rotated regularly on XPN. At the same time the guys loved "Lay Down Play-Dead", which was also getting airplay, and sure enough they joined Lili onstage for that one. Check the concert schedule for details. In the meantime Lili will be performing January 12th at Puck Live in Doylestown.
As Lili finishes 2007 as an independent artist with 47 shows under her belt and with no booking agent, a lot can be said for that. Getting booked without being on a label or representation is no easy fete. With that said, a new CD is planned for 2008 with the unreleased "Supposed To Be" at the top of the list and a crop of fabulous new songs. Stay tuned as 2008 promises to be an even bigger year for Lili's musical journey since her arrival in Philadelphia in 2004. With new percussionist "Super" Steve Lewis on board, Lili's heading in a new and broader direction. Lili thanks all the fans that have attended the shows throughout the year! She promises to continue entertaining you and giving you her very best!
The Philadelphia Songwriters Project took stage at the Kimmel Center on Monday the 17th. The players included John Conahan, Chris Kasper, Alexandra Day and Lili. They were booked as the pre-show for Halls and Oates, peforming on a separate stage. Everyone in attendence were treated to some of the best Philly local talent around today! For more information visit the Philly Songwriters Project website
Last night on the 15th, Lili performed as a feature act among various musicians at the Auction House in NJ. This was a benefit for the Toys for Tots. Setlist, what setlist? Lili manages to always keep her shows fresh and kicked it off by debuting a piece of a newly written song. Wow! If that wasn't enough she bumps off "Try Again" from the official setlist and kicks into "I Pretend." Next up, a fan from the audience yells out "Laughed Last" which again wasn't on the setlist. The fan tells Lili that she had been listening to the CD, but had never seen Lili perform before. So, being that this was her first time at a Lili concert she figured calling out requests was the right thing to do. Lucky for her Lili was ready for anything. On this night after "Temporary Amnesia" had made everyone laugh and "Dream Again" took their breath away, Lili closed the show with one of the best unreleased songs she had written in years. "Supposed To Be" was the closer. A nasty storm was originally scheduled to come down with snow and sleet. More people could have been there, but the crowd that did show up went home with a smile. Next stop, Monday December 17th- The Kimmel Center as Lili takes part in the Philadelphia Songwriters Project as the pre-show for Hall & Oates. See the concert section for more details.
Tuesday November 27th, Lili peformed in a singer/songwriter circle at the wonderful, intimate Act II Playhouse in Ambler, PA. This was Lili's first time in Ambler at tis 100 plus seat theater and she had a blast sharing the stage with Lizanne Knott, John Conahan and Eric Mitchell. In other news Lili is being featured in the latest edition of a local New Jersey magazine called "Art Scene NJ." The monthy publication focuses on the arts in Southern New Jersey. Although Lili is not a New Jersey native, she performs there often enough and was interviewed in October when she appeared at the Auction House in Autobon, NJ. For more infor on the ArtScene NJ visit www.ArtsSceneNJ.com. Next up, Lili will perform at the Auction House on Decmember 15th. Visit the concert section for details!
For most of November Lili has been writing a ton of new songs! Well, technically Lili has been writing new songs all along, but November seemed to be the month where she took a break from performing and concentrated on finishing up songs and working on new material. Hopefully soon, if all goes well, Lili will be back in the studio recording a new CD! More on that to come when details are finalized. In the meantime, while Lili was out to simply hear some other artists perform, she wound up on the stage as an invited guest. This was at the Steel City Coffeehouse in Pheonixville where Lili was there to see friends Lizanne Knott and John Conahan with Eric Mitchell. Lili, with a borrowed Taylor guitar, knocked out the audience with a stunning rendition of "Supposed to Be." In other news Lili was able to reschedule her date at McShea's in Narberth for January 23rd. Check the concert schedule for more details.
Lili had to cancel the November 14th show at McShea's in Narberth. Apologies for anyone saving the date. Please check the concert section for future updates.
October 24th was somewhat of a private showcase for the Auction House, before the official opening on November 7th. Located in Audubon, NJ this venue was a pleasant surprise for this actual auction facility during the day which had been converted to a music venue at night. There were plenty of tables and chairs holding around 80 people, but closer to 170 without the tables. Needless to say the place was packed and this was Wednesday night! Various local singer/songwriters did 1 to 2 songs throughout the night and the incredible Russ Edwards was the gracious host of the evening performing a couple of mini-sets in between. Lili was the evening’s featured guest and took the stage around 9:30. She continued her solo gig ways with a beautiful 40 minute set. Before the night was over Lili had picked up some new NJ fans, was interviewed by the local press and gave this new venue the proper christening that it deserved. Next stop, November 14th in Narberth, PA where Lili will be accompanied by Cooke Harvey on bass. Check the concert schedule section for details.
Lili’s show at Chaplin’s Saturday October 20th was a great time had by all! The solo gigs have been going extremely well and this night where Lili opened for Dan May was no exception. She continued to pull out older songs from the Laughed Last CD and opened the show with “Say It Isn’t True.” The setlist was similar to her show at Puck, the week before. But, with the majority of the crowd there for headliner Dan May, Lili was able to please the crowd with songs of heartbreak, redemption and some edgy storytelling flavored with comedy. She commanded the stage with her heart-stopping cover of Alejandro Escovedo’s “Wave”. Lili gave this song an original touch with some excellent guitar harmonics that are not on the original Alejandro version. Later in the night she took her performance to another level by covering Nina Simone’s “That’s All I Want From You” and segued into “Supposed To Be”. Before the night was over Lili put on a 55 minute command performance of unrestrained energy! Next stop Oct 24th, The Auction House in Audubon, NJ.
Lili once again surprises the audience by opening last night’s set at Puck with “Say It Isn’t True” from the Laughed Last album! I can’t recall the last time this song was played. You can always count on hearing a different setlist on any given night. With the bar on one end and the kitchen on the other, Puck is not the best listening room, but last night you could hear a pin drop! This had to be the most attentive audience so far for Lili’s Puck shows. She was once again doing the solo shuffle only accompanied by her new Jumbo Takamine guitar. Lili banged out an amazing 40 minute set, including her take on Alejandro Escovedo’s “Wave.” Other songs included "Temporary Amnesia", “Zora", "Nothing In Common" , "2 Much Better " and the beautiful, emotionally-charged, unreleased "Supposed To Be". The set closed with a powerful punch with "The Way Out." Lili opened for longtime local favorite Ben Arnold. Ben and his band rocked the house with a fun show. He and the guys hit it off real well with Lili. Next stop, October 20th at Chaplin’s in Spring City, where Lili will once again put on an intimate solo performance opening for Dan May. Check the concert section for details.
Wow! Words cannot begin to express the show that Lili performed last night at Terry Merriman's Elk Creek Music Society House Concert Series. (Photos are forthcoming) During soundcheck Lili performed a brand new song with the working title “Voyager”, but didn’t make it in the setlist. Hopefully this song will begin to make it to some of the future shows. When the show began, not only did Lili brush off songs from the "Laughed Last" CD, but played some rarities, including two never performed unreleased songs and a new cover. From "Laughed Last" Lili pulled out the rarely played title track, the lovely Baby When?, a beautiful version of Let Her Go, On The Run and the always favorite The Wrong Time. Two of the big surprises were the debut of Can’t Fall Out Of Love With You and Goodbye. Both of these songs were considered for Dream Again and may just make it on the next CD. Another surprise was a cover of “Goodnight” from one of her contemporaries, Cliff Eberhardt Lili and Cliff go back from their days in the Village. From “Hi-Octane” it had been a while, but in this type of intimate setting Lili executed some of her best guitar work with Zora. Her vocals reached even higher ground with 2 Much Better. Lately, one of the highlights of Lili’ show has been the newly penned Supposed To Be. This song grabs you and doesn’t let go. I Pretend, Dream Again, Try Again, Over You and Nothing In Common sounded raw and exciting. One of the other highlights was If. It was nice to hear this dark, brooding tune once again. Nina Simone was also covered with That’s All I Want From You. The occasion also called for Joan Armatrading’s Down To Zero. The second set closed with a scorching rendtion of The Way Out. The audience was with Lili from the get-go. This was a 2 hour double set performance, so there was plenty of witty, humorous story-telling that only Lili knows how to do. Next stop, Puck Live on the 13th of this month, where Lili will again be doing a solo gig opening for long-time Philly favorite Ben Arnold.
TWO GREAT SHOWS Sept 14-15!
September 15th, Lili & the Dream Again Band performed a free concert in Wilmington for the Boys & Girls Day "Day For Kids" at the Riverfront. It was a great time with a perfect sound system. Lili and the band peformed two sets and pulled out many songs not regularly played including "On The Run", "Never Ever Say It", "See My Way", "Down To Zero", and possibly the last time until next summer for "Down By The Water." Lili's next scheduled show so far is a house show for the Elk Creek Music Society in Oxford, PA on October 7th. There may be some other shows before that, but nothing confirmed. Visit the concert section for details.
Wow! Wow! Wow! The World Cafe Live downstairs was packed on this Friday, the last day of August. What a way to kick off the Labor Day weekend with over 30 musicians playing nearly 3 hrs of music for the Philly Song Shuffle. When Lili hit the stage at around 10:30 she captivated the audience with "Supposed To Be" where you could almost hear a pin drop! Afterwards in the lobby, Lili was received with so much positive feedback from fans and musicians alike. It was another magical night of music to say the least. Next stop is September 7th where Lili is a special guest at the Act II Playhouse in Ambler, PA. Visit the concert section for details!
Lili's private house show this afternoon in Oreland, PA was a great time! Patrick French hosted a surprise party for his wife, Maureen's 50th birthday and a fun crowd of family and friends got to hear Lili upclose and personal in a backyard setting. Lili pulled out some great songs from all three CDs including Say It Isn't True, Laughed Last, 2 Much Better, Zora, Temporary Amnesia, If God Had a Wallet and a sing-a-long of Down By the Water. The rarely played Down To Zero (Joan Armatrading) and From Me To You (Janis Ian) were also covered. The new song, Supposed To Be, once again grabbed everyone's undivided attention. The Way Out was still a killer without the band and for one last encore, Dream Again ended the evening. With the heat and humidity Lili delivered the goods and heated things up even more. Don't miss Lili's show with the entire Dream Again Band in September at the Steel City Coffee House in Phoenixville. Check the concert section for details.
Lili and Cooke kicked it into high gear last night performing to a very excited sold out crowd at Milkboy Coffee in Bryn Mawr. The second live performance of a brand new song song entitled "Supposed To Be" was executed in perfect, beautiful harmony with Lili singing in English and Spanish. The ever-changing "Go Home" once again wowed the audience. Cooke did some nice work on that song with Lili humming her plea to go home. Milkboy's sound system was top notch and a perfect venue for Lili's new, handsome jumbo Takamine guitar. Every bass note from Cooke made a beautiful sound. It was another stellar night of music and a special treat for those residents seeing Lili and Cooke for the first time. Next stop, Lili will be performing a 2 hour private house show Saturday afternoon on the 25th, then off to World Cafe Live where Lili takes the stage for the Philly Song Shuffle on the 31st.
The outdoor show at the Anson B Nixon Park in Kennett Square was almost rained out, but it never happened. The thunder showers that started out during the 5:00 rush hour hit hard and then stopped a little after 7:00 just in time for a small group of concertgoers to enjoy Lili & The Dream Again Band for 2 sets of music at an hour a piece. The setlist was once again changed with songs being drawn from all three albums. Another band debut for an intense version of “On The Run” from Laughed Last. Another song that got the band treatment was “Not a Tear”, which Lili used to open her shows with as a solo performer. “Never Ever Say It” and “Down By The Water” went over well with the crowd clapping along. “I Pretend” was another highlight along with “It’s You Again.” The first set ended with a scorching version of “Between Me.” The second set closed with “The Way Out” and these hip Kennett Square fans demanded an encore! Lili and Cooke delivered the gospel-flavored “Go Home.”, the new song, sung a cappella with a tambourine and a bass groove. Another outdoor show that could have been a weather-releated disaster turned out to be a night to remember. Next stop, August 4th at the Media Theater with the Lili Añel trio.
6/30/07 The Setlist changes once again at Tin Angel! Last night at the Tin Angel, Chelsea Mitchell was a strong opening act accompanied by a bassist playing upright, which added some very nice textures to her sweet-sounding music. Before the night was over Lili predicted huge things for this very talented 20-year old performer. Way to go Chelsea! Lili began her set solo, like she did the week before at Puck; but this time dusting off the title track from her first album "Laughed Last." Can't recall the last time Lili played this one, but it sure was a nice surprise. "Go Home" was executed next with more of an uptempo bass arrangement. Lili and Cooke promised to mold this song and it seemed that the song keeps improving with some help from the audience clapping along. Next up, the remainder of the Dream Again Band took the stage and blew everyone away with the debut of "Never Ever Say It" another song from Laughed Last. The band was especially tight with killer versions of "Nothin In Common" and "I'm Sorry." "The Way Out" was put back in the setlist closing the show with a big bang. An hour and of half of pure dynamite flew with new converts asking "When the next's gig?" The answer to that is July 11 at the Nixon Park Concert Series in KENNETT SQUARE, PA. Last night at Puck the show was different from what Lili had been doing with the Dream Again Band. Before I get to Lili's set, a special mention needs to go to the opener, John Conahan and his band. John did a knockout performance and kicked off his set setting the right tone for a great night of music! Lili and John will be working together in the near future for sure. The show began with Lili solo, performing the rarely played "Zora." After she finished surprising the crowd, she acknowleged the group of fans who caught her Sellersville Theater show and proceeded to go into another surprise, the premiere of "The Last To Know" by Alejandro Escovedo. Everyone in the house appreciated what Lili was doing. Then Cooke accompanied her onstage for "Go Home." This was Lili's second time peforming it (first time was at Chaplin's) and it was very enthusiastically received. Through the night Lili pulled out songs she hadn't played in recent months, such as "See My Way" and "Life or Death." Lately the closing song has been "The Way Out" always leaving a huge hole in the stage. For the first time since Lili's arrival in Philadelphia, "The Way Out" was not in the setlist. This night the crowd was listening very closely and Lili left them with the title track from her newest CD, which had recently gotten a monster review in Jazz Times, "Dream Again." NEXT STOP June 29th at TIN ANGEL!
Last night Lili and Cooke performed in duo style to a captive audience in one of the best venues in Pennsylvania. Chaplins, in Spring City, is setup as a perfect listening room with a mezzanine level and a musician's dream sound system. The newly written "Go Home" is a gospel flavored hymn that had some of the audience clapping along. Lili and Cooke were on top of their game and peformed a 45 minute set in support of Jeffrey Gaines. They picked up quite a few new fans in the process. If you missed this show Lili will be performing a longer set as headliner with the Dream Again Band at Puck Live on June 23rd and at the Tin Angel June 29th. Lili and The Dream Again Band kicked off the Tuesday night Eagleview Summer concert series in Exton, PA last night to a very sizable crowd. 19-year-old Liz Longley did a great job opening the show. This was a wonderful outdoor event with a minor threat of rain that never came. Blankets and lawn chairs covered the grounds going past the trees to the other side. Wow, the site was breathless!
The above quote is from the June 2007 issue of Jazz Times. "Dream Again" receives major press from the world renound Jazz music magazine. Lili is compared to Nina Simone, Joan Armatrading and Joni Mitchell. Visit the reviews section for the full page column!
What a great way to kick off Mother's Day weekend with Mamapalooza! It was a wonderful family outing sponsered by WXPN, DiscMakers, Barrignton Coffeehouse among others. Lili & The Dream Again Band shared the stage with 3 other powerful women performers: including Lizanne Knott, Lynn King and Mampalooza organizer, Deb Chamberlin. All mentioned were accompanied by their full band. The venue was perfect for outdoors nestled by trees providing just the right amount of shade to make this a very comfortable event. If you missed Mamapalooza, another great outdoor Spring event is the upcoming June 5th Eagleview Concert Series! Lili and the Dream Again Band begin this wonderful series of Spring and Summer shows in Exton, PA. Visit the concert section for more details and a link to the venue website. The best thing about this is that it's FREE!!! Come out and catch a great show where Lili & the Dream Again Band will headline. A very talented upcoming singer/songwriter, Liz Longely will open for Lili.
Last night, the 28th, was a great night to see Lili & The Dream Again Band live. Nearing the end of the month, Lili and the guys tore down the house perfroming to a near sold-out crowd. The mood was festive as the audience, old and new, went along for the ride of some hard-htting rock and roll. This was the band debut of "Nothing In Common" a song normally played in duet format with Lili and Cooke. The addition of Dave's guitar licks and John's crashing drums gave this song some extra-drive. Lay-Down Play Dead, Thin Line, Temporary Amnesia and Between Me kept the momentum going all the way to the explosive ending with The Way Out. But before the month finally ends, Lili will be performing one more time on Monday the 30th, at the Free Library of Philadelphia as part of the PHILLY MUSIC ON THE PARKWAY series hosted by WXPN's Gene Shay. What a great way to begin the work week! So far May 12th is the only confirmed date Lili has booked, but what a show this will be!!! It's the Mamapalooza concert! Please visit the concert section for details.
On the 27th, Lili had a wonderful solo show at Steel City Coffeehouse opening for the Deb Callahan Band. Deb was very gracious and gave Lili props for opening the show. Lili has a tentative return date back at Steel City in September. More details about that show later in the summer.
Fans from the Phoenixville area, this just came in. Lili was asked to be a last minute replacement opening for blues singer Deb Callahan and her band. Lili graciously accepted the inivitation and will be performing a 30 minute set next Saturday the 27th. Come out for what promises to be a great night of fun!
April 14th, the town of Media got treated to a doubleshot of Lili with Cooke and Dave. They performed 2 sets to a SRO sold out crowd. "Down By the Water" was a crowd favorite along with the reggae-flavored "See My Way", the rock-driven "Thin Line" and bass groove of "Lay Down Play-Dead" all from Hi-Octane Coffee. From Dream Again, "Over You", "Temporary Amnesia" and "Try Again" went over extremely well. Lili also performed "Tonight" from Laughed Last and covered Nina Simone's "Thats' All I Want From You." A great time was had! On the 15th, Lili, Cooke and Dave performed live on Gene Shay's Folk Show and although there was no live audience feedback, this beautiful, stellar performance was heard by XPN listeners worldwide! A portion of the show may end up on a streamed show called "Folk Alley." Keep an eye on XPN's website for details!
April 11th and 12th were two great shows back to back! The 12th was at the Steel City Coffeehouse where Lili, Cooke and Boz performed a great set as a trio. Supporters of Lili's from Phoenixville and beyond wre treated to some special songs not usually played as an entire band. "Not a Tear" and the rarely performed "Tonight" were included in the setlist along with a rollicking version of Temporary Amnesia. The setlist ended with Thin Line and for an encore Lili performed another rarity requested by an antendee via e-mail. To everyone's delight "Let Her Go" was delivered to perfection! The Havanna show in New Hope had a small, but attentive crowd. Lili executed a very sweet solo performance which struck some interest in her Tin Angel show on the 28th! Next stop the Plumstead Inn in Media PA Saturday April 14th and then the live radio show on WXPN with Gene Shay Sunday the 15th.
THE LONG ISLAND PRESS just published this monster review in their NY newspaper:
Much like Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood has a Walk of Fame, Puck Live has their very own "Wall of Fame" where performers get their hands painted to leave an entire print on the wall. March 31st was Puck's latest inductee with Lili leaving her painted hand next to the man (Alejandro Escovedo) she opened for two night's earlier as shown in the above photo. The Dream Again Band performed to a near sold out crowd and the sound guy, Mike did an excellent job with the band's explosive set of hard hitting rock and roll. All the stops were pulled out with Thin Line, Lay-Down Play Dead, The Way Out and Down By The Water all included in the setlist. Lili and Cooke also did a solo mini-set. It was a great night of fun! Next stop April 11th at Steel City Coffehouse where Lili, Cooke and Boz will do a co-bill with Nick Ludovico.
Opening for Alejandro Escovedo at the Sellersville Theater had to be the best performance since Lili's arrival in Philadelpha in 2004. Close runner ups are first time at Tin Angel in 2005 and the January 2006 show she did with Jeffrey Gaines. As good as those shows were, last night, March 29th, was taken to a different level. This was Lili's third time performing in the beautiful Sellersville Theater and thanks to Dan, who does sound, the audio was perfect! Lili with Cooke on bass absolutely nailed every note from the get-go. The audience was so attentive and Lili's story-telling was in top form. What also factored into this making this night so magical was the ultra positive vibe coming from Alejandro Escovedo and his very talented string quartet. Alejandro is such a down to earth guy, very friendly and approachable which brought Lili's already enthusiastic performance to a higher place. Lili is a huge Alejandro fan and this made for a perfect match. The harmonics and interplay between Lili and Cooke isn't that much different from the way Alejandro utilizes the talented musicians that accompany him on stage. It was also nice that during Alejandro's set he asked the audience to give Lili and Cooke a round of applause and again he asked the same thing during his band intro. Let's hope Lili and Alejandro share the stage again at a future date. Next stop Puck Live in Doylestown where Lili will headline with the Dream Again Band.
Mark your calendars! Lili was invited to perform on Gene Shay's Folk show! Gene Shay is the founder of the Philadelphia Folk Festival, among his many accolades of being in the music business for over 40 years! The show will take place Sunday April 15th from 8:00 to 11:00pm ON 88.5 WXPN. Lili will be doing a live performance of 6 songs! Foe those who haven’t been able to make it out to one of Lili’s recent shows, here’s a perfect opportunity to experience a free show! But March still has two very important shows: The Sellersville Theater Thursday March 29th where Lili opens for Alejandro Escovedo and Saturday March 31st at Puck Live where Lili and the Dream Again Band will headline!
BLUE CRAB GRILLE
Lili and the Dream Again Band’s first time at the Blue Crab Grille in Delaware on March 24th was another sold out show! Things got under way a little before 10pm and the fans were with Lili every step of the way. The rarely performed “Down by the Water” made it’s way into the setlist with some Spanish lyrics incorporated into the tune. The setlist ended with “Between Me”, but the crowd wouldn’t let Lili and the band leave the stage without an encore. First uo was :I Pretend” followed by Nina Simone’s “That’s All I Want From You.” A very memorable night in Delaware.
ACOUSTIC PHILLY
Lili's March 22nd participation in "Acoustic Philly" at the Hinge Cafe was a great night of music. Lili shared the stage with three very talented singer/songwriters : Dan Gover, Shelby Charnoff and Gerimiah Giampa. Lili was taken with all 3 of these young artists and had a great time singing in the round as each performer took a turn in singing their song and sharing what went into constructing their work. A small crowd in attendance was treated to an exceptional night of acoustic music!
March 13, 2007 Another 1,2,3 Weekend!
March 9th Lili flies solo opening for the lengendary John Hammond in Sellersville. Lili was well received and John, being the class act that he is, publically thanked Lili right before leaving the stage.
Friday March 2nd at The Cornelia Street Cafe made for another sold out show for Lili & The Dream Again Band! This was a very successful New York CD release show with special guest Garland Jeffreys singing duet with Lili on "New York Skyline." Another special guest was Lili's ex-sax player, Joey Berkley, helping out on "Try Again" and "Thin Line." Next day, Lili headed to Teaneck, NJ where she was interviewd by music director, Lynn Crystal at WFDU. The interview was excellent as Lynn asked specific questions about the songs from Dream Again and managed to air 4 songs from the CD. In addition, Lili sang "I'm Sorry" acoustic solo. Later in the evening, Lili performed a private house show in Queens, NY hosted by one of her longtime fans. The house was filled with a delicious aroma of everything from pasta to seafood and beyond. This was technically a sold out performance as all seats were taken and then some. Among the house guests was Lynn Crystal who gave Lili a very classy introduction. Lili performed 2 sets of acoustic delights, many songs which were not played with the band. Most of the attendees were seeing Lili for the first time. So that made it even more special for Lili. Next stop, Friday March 9th at the Sellersville Theater, where Lili opens for the legendary John Hammond.
February 23, 2007 - GARLAND JEFFREYS
Universal Recording artist, Garland Jeffreys will be a special guest at Lili's March 2nd New York CD Release Show! Lili has stated many times that Garland was one of her influences when she began playing music. Garland is responsible for such hits as "Wild in the Streets", "R.O.C.K.", "96 Tears", "New York Skyline" and "Ghost Writer" just to name a few. Garland will be joining Lili onstage for a couple of songs. So, this should be a very special night!
February 17, 2007 - Puck Live Debut!
Last night Lili & the Dream Again Band were embraced by a SRO audience. The majority of this packed house Doylestown crowd were witnessing Lili & her new band for the first time. They seemed to be having the time of their lives. The audience interacted and reacted to Lili’s banter and the new ‘Salvation” intro to “If God Had a Wallet” was a tickler. Earlier on, during Nora Whittaker’s set, Lili lent her vocals for “The River Wide” and later in the evening, during Lili’s set, Nora returned the favor with her remarkable keyboard playing on “Life or Death.” Lili & the band were so well received they when they ended their set with “Between Me’’ the audience hollered for an encore. Lili pulled out one she had not played for some time. The audience was treated to an acoustic solo peformance of “Won’t You Stay." The Puck Live debut was a sweet preview of Lili & the band’s return there March 31st when they will headline with Chris Bruni as the supporting act. Next stop, March 2nd Lili & the Dream Again Band’s New York CD Release show at the Cornelia Street Café.
February 7, 2007 - "Philly to New Orleans"
The Dream Again Band's sound gets tighter as they performed a sizzling-hot one hour set at last night's World Cafe benefit concert for New Orleans. Lili's onstage banter was abbreviated, but the music took off! The segue between Try Again and Thin Line worked really well and Life or Death took on some new life without keyboards. The audience was very attentive and Lili told a hilarious new story about "Salvation" a.k.a "If God had a Wallet." A very fun night was had for a worthy cause! Next stop February 16th at Puck Live, where the Dream Again Band once again joins forces with the fabulous Nora Whittaker Band!
February 3, 2007 - LILI GETS BOOKED WITH ONE OF HER HEROES
Lili was asked to open for one of her heroes Alejandro Escovedo. Lili is a huge fan of Alejandro, owning his entire discography. She was thrilled when asked if she would be interested in opening for him. The show will take place at the beautiful Sellersville Theater March 29th. Although the entire Dream Again Band won't be performing at this show, Cooke and Lili will perform in a duo setting, which is always pleasing. Anyone not familiar with Alejandro's music should purchase his latest CD "The Boxing Mirror" and discover what you've been missing.
January 20, 2007 - LILI OF THE DELAWARE VALLEY
The January 11th issue of the widely circulated Philadelphia City Paper features an interview with Lili in the music section with the caption "Lili of the Del. Valley." Conducted by freelance writer A.D. Amorosi. The City Paper has been an independent publication for 25 years. THE FULL INTERVIEW IS IN THE REVIEWS SECTION OF LILI'S WEBSITE. As Lili gets more attention from the press, particularly the new "Dream Again" CD, she and the Dream Again Band are picking up momentum with another CD release show in New York on March 2nd and various gigs that are in the process of being negotiated. This will no doubt be a very busy year for Lili and the Dream Again Band! Lili and the band's next stop is a return visit to World Cafe Live February 6th playing a benefit show for New Orleans. Check the Concert Section for details.
January 14, 2007 - DEBUT OF THE DREAM AGAIN BAND!
The January 13, 2007 SOLD OUT World Café Live show was a super magical night with three of the best female voices in the Philly local scene. Chelsea Mitchell, a.k.a Chelsea Q opened the show with nothing but her operatic-like voice and an acoustic guitar. This 19-year-old did a wonderful job warming up the crowd and in the process making new fans. Chelsea has a new EP and featured many of those songs in her performance.
January 5, 2007 - CD RELEASE SHOW SOLD OUT!
Lili's CD Release show, co-bill with The Nora Whittaker Band, is sold out! That's the official word from the staff at World Cafe Live. Thanks to all the fans for supporting Lili and Nora's show. Tickets were still in demand as Lili received messages from fans who tried to buy tickets, but were turned away. Please check the concert schedule to see where Lili is playing next. In other news "Between Me" from the forthcoming Dream Again CD is being featured on the World Cafe Live's Website Podcast Vol 10. Nice going!
January 2007 - CD Release Show in New York!
Another show has just been confirmed for 2007. Lili and the Dream Again Band will be performing a second CD Release Show in New York at the beautiful Cornelia Street Cafe, one of the finest clubs in Greenwich Village. Established in 1977, over the years it has presented an enormous variety of artists. Upstairs there is a dinning room and downstairs a perfect listening room for performances. The fabulous Nora Whittaker will once again be on the card opening the show. Time and ticket prices are yet to be worked out, but the date is Friday, March 2nd.
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.
December 24, 2005
The Last WXPN Newsletter for 2005 features Lili on the cover. Inside story on the October 18th Live Radio Broadcast with Lili and other local artists.
December 20, 2005 Lili was invited to peform at Perkins Center of the Arts in February 2006. Perkins Center for the Arts is a unique cultural organization dedicated to excellence in the arts and to providing a wide range of creative opportunities for people of all ages and every level of artistic development. Located on a beautiful 5-acre arboretum in Moorestown, N.J., Perkins Center for the Arts, founded in 1976, is housed in the historic Perkins Memorial, a Tudor-style manor house designed in 1910 by Philadelphia architect, Herbert C. Wise. Concert details soon to follow.
December 17 2005
Steel City Coffee House is a great venue for live music! The audience last night was so attentive and Lili was able to make some new fans. They serve excellent coffee and sandwiches too! Lili looks foward to returning January 7th with Jeffrey Gaines.
December 16, 2005 LAY DOWN PLAY-DEAD is chosen as the Philly Local Pick of the Day! Once a day Helen Leicht, from WXPN 88.5, selects a song at 1:00 PM as the pick of the day exclusively from local Philadelphia artists. Way to go Lili! Tonight is Lili's debut at Steel City Coffee House. The cold arctic air we've been experiencing the past few days has left, making tonight a great night to go out and enjoy some live music!
November 23, 2005 Great news! Lili was booked to open for one of her heroes JEFFREY GAINES January 7th at Steel City Coffeehouse! Now here's the icing on the cake, Lili will be returning to the Tin Angel January 20th opening for her mates PATRICK'S HEAD. If this is going to be anything like the October 22nd CD release party, we are all in for a very special treat! Details for both of these fabulous shows soon to come.
November 20, 2005
What a great night for music at the Tin Angel! Lili kicked things off with a Janis Ian cover "From Me To You." The audience was mesmerized and very few people realized it was a cover. Lili clarified it a couple of songs later saying she wish she had written that one. Then enter Bill Conkin, Lili's guitarist for the evening. Finally, we get to hear the Philadelphia premiere of "Thin Line." Bill really added something special to this song filling in the space needed for this live rendition. The unreleased gem "Over You" came next, followed by the always delightful "Nothing In Common." 'If God Had A Wallet" was played without the usual story-telling intro. With Bill on guitar a new element was added to this very inspirational song. Going back to the "Laughed Last" CD, Lili pulls out another Philadelphia premeire with "Baby When?" An all too short setlist ends with a killer version of "The Way Out". Next stop Steel City Coffeehouse, December 16! October 22, 2005 PATRICK'S HEAD CD RELEASE PARTY
The house was sold out and the mood was very festive. Lili kicked it off with Say It Isn't True and played a good mix of songs from both of her CDs and in addition some unreleased material. The Wrong Time was played beautifully as usual and a remarkable performance of "On The Run" was dedicated to everyone that hates their day jobs. From the response Lili got there were quite a few people who hate their day jobs! She sang her heart out on Won't You Stay which she played as a request from John Byrne (Patrick's Head) and to the delight of her good friend, Joe Montano who drove in from NY with his family. If God Had a Wallet sounds better every time it's played. She ended her set with the fan favorite THE WAY OUT which prompted a dance party! When Lili went up to introduce Patrick's Head she told the audience how they first met. Lili imitating John in an Irish Brogue: "You're so fucking fantastic! You should open for us when we do our CD release party".
October 19, 2005 - Philly Local All Star Event! In celebration of XPNs one year anniversary at 3025 Walnut Street on October 18th there was a special live broadcast of the Philly Local show with DJ legend Helen Leicht. It was a full house at the upstairs World Cafe with an All Star Line-up! Lili was asked to kick off the show with the Staples Singers hit "I'll Take You There." She was accompanied by Josh Komorowski on vocals, guitarist Keith Giosa, drummer Woody Sutton, bassist Jeff Block and the lovely Lelia Broussard on vocals. With this group of fine artists they breathed new life into the song. Lili later performed Nothing in Common and The Way Out with Jeff on bass. It was a very jubilant atmosphere and a memorable night of great music showcasing some of the best local talent this town has to offer. Helen promises there is more to come! October 12, 2005
Whether she’s playing to twenty people or a thousand, Lili is always the cool, constant professional. She gave her best last night at the World Cafe and performed for about an hour and twenty minutes. She played older songs, newer material and even 2 covers; Janis Ian and Joan Armatrading. On "On The Run" and "Over You" Lili had a special guest percussionist, Jody Janetta adding some magic to these wonderful songs, making this a very special night. Even the empty chairs were applauding!
October 11, 2005 Lili was again surprised and delighted to get a call from the World Cafe to perform as a replacement for the Upstairs stage on Oct 11th. This is a FREE EVENT. Local musician, Daniel Drust will open the show at 7:00pm and perform a 40 minute set. Then Lili will take the stage and perform for about 1 hr and 15 minutes. It's so good to see Lili headline again and play a longer set, as she has many recorded and unreleased songs to offer. This will certainly be a great time!
WXPN 88.5 TOTALLY LIVE BROADCAST!!! Lili was asked to perform at Helen Leicht's Philly Local radio show on October 18th. She was thrilled and will be doing at least 2 songs live as the shows aires from 8 to 10pm. This is in celebration of WXPN's state of the art station which will be one year old in it's new location right next to the World Cafe. The show is being booked as "Josh Komorowski and Friends." Josh was lead singer, guitarist and songwriter for the band LOVE SYNDICATE and now performs solo. His talents will shine on October 18th! Among the other wonderful artists scheduled are Slo Mo featuring Mike Brenner/Mic Wrecka, The Fractals featuring Kevin Hansen, Taki76, Lelia Broussard, Matt Santry, Lizanne Knott and John Francis. Lili may be accompanied by local bass player, Jeff Block.
September 25, 2005 Lili played to a sold out crowd at the World Cafe Downstairs main stage in short notice! The highly anticipated Rhett Miller concert was in need of an opening act due to a management mix-up. Lili got the call only hours before showtime with no rehearsal time and was well received by a crowd not expecting an opening act. Way to go Lili! September 20, 2005 The All Together Now! Benefit for victims of Hurricane Katrina was a huge success! Several venues were inolved including The World Cafe, Tin Angel, Steel City Coffee House and others. Lili did her scheduled 4 songs at The World Cafe main stage and met lots of nice folks. There was so much talent and positive vibes in the air. It was a great time for a worthy cause!
September 18, 2005 THE WAY OUT was played on WSTW in Delaware! WSTW is a Wilmington mainstream radio station. After Lili's participation in "Hometown Heroes Concert for Hurricane Relief" she was recognized for her performance and played the next night! Check out this link:
September 17, 2005 Lili was proud to participate at "Hometown Heroes Concert for Hurricane Relief" in Wilmington, DE. This show was pulled together very quickly and Lili was honered to be asked to devote her time and talent for this much needed Katrina benefit show. The Grand Opera House is a very historic and beautiful concert venue. Lili hopes to return there.
September 10, 2005 Lili once again proved that seeing is believing! The September 9th Tin Angel show had one of the most wonderful crowds that Lili has perfomed for since her move to Philadelphia last year. The audience seemed to cling on to every word. It was such a positive, energetic experience having so many new attendees being won over. She opened for cult icon, Essra Mohawk and it was great to see her fans become Lili's fans. Lili has been perfoming a couple of new songs, one called "If God Had a Wallet" and the other "Land On My Feet." These will most definitely be on the next CD. This was her very first appearance at The Tin Angel and guess what? She was asked to return! Details will be forthcoming.
September 8, 2005 A benefit concert is being organized by Point Entertainment for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. This will involve many of Philadelphia's best artists. Lili was asked to participate and has proudly accepted. As far as we know shows are being scheduled for September 20th, but all the details as to the time and place of the venue(s) still have to be worked out. This should be public news in the days to come. September 6, 2005 "Lay-Down Play Dead" was played on WXPN on the 8:00pm Philly Local show! This is huge since WXPN is broadcasted in 4 cities! Hopefully Lili's music will continue to get airplay. In addition the Tin Angel show for this Friday was also mentioned! Hats off to Lili!!! Special thanks to legendary D.J. Helen Leicht for playing Lili. Helen was a class act years ago when she worked for WIOQ and continues today to play original music, giving focus to our Philly local musicians. THE TRACY CHAPMAN COMPARISON CONTINUES It seems that a lot of the younger fans need a reference point and often compare Lili to Tracy Chapman. Perhaps a little musical history could clear up some of the comparisons. Tracy and Lili are vocally both altos, but that's where the similarity ends. Lili was performing music long before Tracy made her first album and therefore did not learn from listening to Tracy Chapman. No offense to Tracy, but the styles are different and Lili's teachers are more in line with Joan Armatrading (a name that perhaps a twenty-something would not be familiar with), the Beatles, Joni Mitchell and Janis Ian among others. Tracy Chapman is a huge star, but there is only one Tracy Chapman. Lili is not a big name, but her musical identity is unique and she prefers the comparisons, if any, to be attributed to a majority of musical influences and not as a clone to someone who had no influence in her musical education. As time goes by and Lili's music becomes more widely known, perhaps people will realize that there is only one Lili Añel. August 12, 2005 Lili was thrilled when she got the call to perform with Patrick's Head at the World Cafe Live main stage on August 12th! This was at the request of the Irish Trio (Patrick's Head) who were impressed with Lili's upstairs performance. A photographer was there taking pictures to be used for god knows what, at some future gallery. Also, this was an event sponsored by Famous Brands Scotch! So, it was somewhat of a private affair. Lili gave one of the best performances that I was privvy to witness. Another
photographer (musician) Ron Chelsvig took fabulous photos that will be posted in the days to come. All in all this was wonderful night with free drinks and lots of fun. Patrick's Head, you guys are the best! Lili sends many thanks for inviting her to your party! The downstairs stage has an excellent sound system and Lili looks forward to returning in the near future.
August 5th World Cafe Lili competed against 3 other acts in tonight's Cream: Philly Rising.
Although Lili wasn't the July winner, she proved as always that she could
command the stage and sung her heart out. Lili still walked away a winner
with some new fans and an offer to perform in October! Details are
forthcoming.
July 2005 Out of the many performers that gave their best during the month of July, Lili was selected to perform At the Word Cafe Live for Cream: The Best of Philly Rising. The show will take place Friday August 5th and Lili will be sharing the card with 3 other acts. Showtime is 9:00 P.M. and admission for this event is FREE! So, come down to the gig and have a great time!
June 8, 2005 LILI BROUGHT DOWN THE HOUSE! Lili’s June 8th, 2005 performance at the World Café Live! in Philly was absolutely incredible! She strongly kicked off the set with the wonderful "Say It Isn’t True" from her first CD Laughed Last, then wowed the audience with an unreleased gem called "Over You." Let’s hope this makes it on the next album! By the third song "Nothing In Common", from Hi-Octane Coffee, you could hear a pin drop. Some of the patrons who just showed up for drinks and some new music were completely transfixed. A beautiful rendition of "The Wrong Time" was next followed by "2 Much Better", a very clever song about twins, but also could be interpreted with a broader theme. The haunting song "If" was delivered so raw and stark and is one of the best written songs on Hi-Octane Coffee! "Zora", a lovely song about a close friend, was skillfully sung with conviction. Lili went on to say that her friend worked at the World Trade Center and happened to be off work on 911. She explained that people usually pay tribute to others after they pass away, but wanted to do this for her friend while she was alive. "No Matter What Love", one of the most beautiful love songs ever written, came next. The set closed with an up-tempo killer, The "Way Out", also from Hi-Octane Coffee. People were clapping along and dancing in their seats. After this the crowd roared for an encore! Lili stepped back on stage and devoted "Grow Old With Me" (a John Lennon tune) to her fiancé sitting at one of the front tables. Lili’s powerhouse vocals, humor, charisma, storytelling and expert guitar playing had the audience wondering when’s the next gig?
Lili broke new ground on the 20th with her very first gig at the Living Room in New York City. She was accompanied by her new percussionist, Super Steve Lewis, along with the Incredible Cooke Harvey on bass. Performing to a packed house on a Thursday night was amazing within itself, but Lili continues to keep the setlist fresh by opening with the title track from her first CD Laughed Last. A thunderous applause was followed after the closing note and then the premiere of Super Steve on percussion performing Try Again. Also, On The Run from Laughed Last never sounded better! The sound system at the Living Room was superb and throughout the night you could hear a pin drop with this very attentive audience. Another song that Lili "unburied", as she put it, was "Can't Fall Out of Love With You." This was an old unreleased song that sounded as fresh as anything she's written in recent years. Lili had talked about finding a percussionist, along with just Cooke on bass and the configuration with Steve last night was perfect! After the last song, The Way Out, the audience wouldn't let Lili leave without an encore. "Supposed To Be" left the audience in awe as the last impression of the night. Lili's last show of the year is a private house show on the 22nd, but the next public show will be January 12, 2008 at Puck in Doylestown.
Visit the concert schedule for details.
10/30/07 SHOW CANCELLATION!
The night of September 14th, Lili and The Dream Again Band performed a one hour set at the Steel City Coffeehouse. The setlist was changed around starting the show with an electrifying version of "Lay Down Play Dead." "Try Again", which usually is first, got moved to second place. There were quite a few walk-ins who were seeing Lili and hearing her story-telling for the first time. A very sweetly and rarely played "It's You Again" was performed. During any given night you never know what new song or rarity Lili will perform and this night was no exception. Lili performed to everyone's delight the unreleased "Supposed To Be" and for the first time a beautiful version of "Wave" by Alexandro Escovedo. This was indeed a very enoyable one hour set. Lili and the band co-billed with the Milton Band from New York.
MILKBOY COFFEE WAS BREWING SOME GOOD STUFF!
EXCELLENT TURNOUT AT EAGLEVIEW
AND A GUEST APPEARANCE AT GARLAND JEFFREY'S SHOW
Next stop Lili will do a one-song solo performance as a guest in Garland's Jeffrey's show at the Bitter End. The show will take place June 8th and will likely be sold out. Hail, Hail Rock and Roll!
"Part soul sister, part jazz chanteuse and pure dynamite."
STEEL CITY COFFEEHOUSE
Lili's debut on the 18th at the beautiful Chaplin's Music Cafe went over very well! The Marc Silver Band also performed their brand of Americana-Bluegrass which complimented Lili and Cooke's performance. It was a great night of music! Lili is sure to return to Chaplin's in the near future.
Lili Anel
Dream Again (Wall I) 9/10
A tremendous talent who honed her chops alongside Greenwich Village folk stalwarts Suzanne Vega and Shawn Colvin, Lili Anel returns with her third and best recording after a five-year hiatus. Possessing a singular, smoky-sounding vocal style that falls somewhere between Joan Armatrading (Anel covers Armatrading’s "Down to Zero" here) and Nina Simone (especially on "Life or Death"), Anel’s recent move to Philly yielded a collaboration with fretless-bass player Cooke Harvey, who helped co-helm an extraordinary album that might be just a bit bass-heavy—Anel’s voice and phrasing are too extraordinary to be given anything less than centerstage. Her highly personalized lyricism shows added depth from past recordings, whether it’s in the samba-like "Over You" or the snappy-edged light funk of "Temporary Amnesia." Elsewhere, Anel incorporates songs about her faith (the hypnotic "Life or Death" and gorgeous hit-written-all-over-it "If God Had a Wallet") that never come off preachy, with the latter existing on the same plane as Joan Osborne’s "One of Us." Dream is a fabulous, rock-solid gift of exquisitely penned and sung songs. This deserves to be a commercial hit. —Skitch Mulligan
GENE SHAY SHOW
March 10th was a SOLD OUT show at the Home Fine Art Gallery in Mt Holly, NJ. Lili headlined the Women's night showcase and was accompanied by Cooke on upright bass. Another great crowd!
March 11th Lili returned to live radio in Delaware on the "Hometown Heroes" show hosted by Mark Rogers. WSTW 97.3's signal could actually be picked up in parts pf Philadelphia, but is also streamed over the internet. Mark played 3 songs from the 'Dream Again" CD and in addition Lili performed a solo acoustic version of "I'm Sorry. " The full broadcast can be downloaded from www.wstw.com. Next stop March 22nd at the Hinge Cafe and Art house in Philadelphia, where Lili will once again perform solo. Visit the concert section for details
The Nora Whittaker Band hit the stage next. Nora’s bluesy, powerhouse vocals and excellent keyboard playing was accompanied by Jessie Lundy’s slick guitar work, Ben Cleal on bass and Dan Quill on drums. Nora performed some new material along with songs from her latest CD “Imaginary Friends” and her band did a fabulous job of executing them. Two of the highlights for me were “River Wide” and “Buddy Coal Mine.” Nora Whittaker and her band received a tremendous ovation and great feedback from the audience after the show.
Lili Añel and The Dream Again Band kicked off their set with the very melodic “Try Again” from the new CD. Dave “Boz” Bozenhard put his Fender Strat to work on songs like “Thin Line”, “Temporary Amnesia” and “I’m Sorry.” John DiGiovanni’s drums and percussions were accented on “If God Had a Wallet” the red-hot “Lay-Down Play Dead”, and the Shaft-like backbeat of “Temporary Amnesia.” Mid-way through the set Lili played solo on “The Wrong Time”, and then was joined by co-producer and bassist, Cooke Harvey for a few more songs including the title track “Dream Again.” After the band blew everyone away with “The Way Out”, Nora Whittaker returned to the stage and did a knock-out job playing keyboards on “Life or Death.” The band nails this song as it builds and accelerates to an explosive climax. The set ended with “Between Me.” Its Motown style groove featured Nora on vocals and special guest vocalist Barbara Añel, Lili’s twin sister. When Lili and the band left the stage, the crowd demanded an encore. Lili’s version of Joan Armatrading’s “Down To Zero”, which had been getting some airplay on XPN was performed this night as the full band version. Lili performed her second encore with the hope-filled “Land on my Feet” from the new Dream Again CD. Lili has certainly left the solo performer genre and has returned to the full band sound she once had when she resided in New York. The Dream Again band members have brought some serious chops to Lili’s music. This was by far Lili’s best show since moving to Philly in 2004. Very much looking forward to the next one at Puck Live in February!
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 Cook 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.
Patrick's Head opened their set with "Mine" from the Conversation With Baby CD and then moved forward with Susan Says from A Mild Case Of Something Weird and continued with a combination of new and old material. One of the highlights of the evening was when 3 people in the audience showed up dressed in masks and costumes. They turned out to be John Byrne's family who flew all the way from Ireland just for the occasion! What a night of surprises! Another great highlight was when the band played YOU'RE ALREADY GONE, the best song from the new CD. Overall, John's singing was strong and the tambourine playing was very Beatlesque. Scott delivered some of the best solid acoustic guitar playing ever. To glue the sound together was Patrick on electric guitar. The trio were at their charismatic best at times jumping on the dance floor dancing along with the crowd. The traditional Irish drinking songs lent to making this CD release party of "Traditional Gentlemen of the Road" a successful and fun night for all!
Daniel Drust opened the show accompanied by his drummer and also played his heart out for a half hour. At times sounding like Buddy Holly and then a punk rocker, this young guy has great stage presence and a lot of raw potential. Daniel can be seen playing the open mic weekly at various venues, including the World Café, in addition to performing full sets.
Great job Lili and Danny!
