“I’m so happy to be performing at Light of Day in Asbury Park this year,” says acclaimed Jersey songstress Lisa Bouchelle. “I know some people who’ve had to deal with Parkinson’s disease, so it’s a cause that’s near and dear to me. And I’ve been around a few people just recently that have been affected by it, so it’s really hitting home.”
Lisa will be keeping very busy at the annual event, with three performances, starting with a full band set at The Saint on the afternoon of January 18, followed by a solo performance at The Paramount Theater that evening, and wrapping it up as part of “Songwriter’s By The Sea 2,” at the Langosta Lounge on the afternoon of January 19.
Keeping busy is nothing new for Lisa, as she has continued to tour and perform locally at a pace most artists would have trouble keeping up with. She just completed a 2019 fall tour with fellow troubadour Adam Ezra, hitting the East Coast from Maine down to Florida. Inrecent years, she has done treks with artists such as Shooter Jennings, Donavon Frankenreiter, and Don Felder. Prior tours included opening slots for Blues Traveler, Train, Bryan Adams, The Wailers, and many others. “I love being on the road,” she relates. “It’s always exciting to see new places, play for new audiences, and meet new people. And the chance to work with other artists I admire is always an added bonus.”
Indeed, her tour with Blues Traveler led to a long-standing friendship with John Popper, which in turn led to a duet on the song, “Only The Tequila Talkin’,” which Lisa wrote with fellow Jersey shore songwriter John Eddie. The song garnered over a million streams on Spotify, and the video is closing in on 150,000 views. “John Popper has been a great friend, and whenever they are in town, we always get together, and sometimes even perform together. It’s a long way from when I met him on the first night of our tour together in New Orleans,” Lisa recalls. “John and the band all welcomed me, ‘Hey, Jersey girl!’ But when he found out I was all alone, doing the whole tour solo, he said I’d probably be lying dead on the side of the road by the end of the tour!”
Lisa has been busy in the studio, with quite a few new songs and videos in the works. One of the new tracks, a soaring ballad about believing in one’s dreams, has been an especially well received song at live shows. Called “I Believe,” it’s already been used as a wedding song by some of Lisa’s fans. “It’s heartwarming to have people relate so much to something you’ve written,” adds Lisa. “It makes all the hard work worth it to realize you’ve moved someone with your words and music.”
Besides her musical endeavors, Lisa is the creator and co-host of the TV show Rock Star Kitchen, which airs twice weekly on The Comcast Network in the Philadelphia region. The show features different rock star guests each week, who cook their favorite dish, and then sit down with acoustic guitars and play a few songs with Lisa. Guests have included Foreigner, Lita Ford, Night Ranger, Chubby Checker, Tonic, Candlebox, and the late Eddie Money. “It was so sad to hear Eddie passed away,” says Lisa. “He was a really fun, life-of-the-party kind of guy, and I always enjoyed being around him.”
Lisa’s plans for 2020 include more touring, recording, and the possibility of the TV show expanding its reach. “We’re going to bring it to more cities,” she says. “We’ve been in touch with some national networks about it as well.” There also looks to be a new album on the horizon, and some other surprises in store.
For now, Lisa is focused on her upcoming shows, and the Light of Day festivities. The Light of Day organization has raised over $5 million over the years in support of the effort to defeat Parkinson’s disease, as well as related illnesses such as ALS and PSP.
Lisa is no stranger to charitable endeavors, as she also has been a member of the renowned Jersey shore Holiday Express group, performed in hospitals with the Musicians On Call organization, and co-wrote a charity single, “Restore The Shore,” that raised money for Hurricane Sandy relief and included contributions by many shore luminaries, such as Garry Tallent, Southside Johnny, Glen Burtnik, Bobby Bandiera, Christine Martucci, Steve Forbert, John Easdale, and Gary U.S. Bonds, among others.
Please check out more from Lisa Bouchelle at lisabouchelle.com, or at facebook.com/lisabouchelle. You can also get more information about Light of Day festivities at lightofday.org
