Lisa Rene

Lisa began singing at a young age. Years of starring in musical theatre productions, formal vocal training in Jazz and Classical music from the University of Illinois, Champaign, School of Music and Elmhurst College, as well as fronting a cover band for several years, helped Lisa to develop her natural talent as a singer and performer. Her powerful, wide-ranging voice helps this Chicago native stand out from the current trend of wispy-voiced female singers. Influenced by other great singer/songwriters such as Melissa Etheridge, Sheryl Crow and Pat Benatar, Lisa has developed her own unique sound. Her songs and her personality have the ability to reach a diverse audience.

Not only is Lisa a gifted songwriter, her songs come to life in her performances. With her captivating stage presence, Lisa can command an audience with her eyes, expressions, and accomplished voice. She has been getting rave reviews and this past year enjoyed performing shows such as the WGN-TV Morning News, the Taste of Chicago and Navy Pier...just to name a few. And each year The Lisa René Band has been nominated for awards in the categories of “Best Rock Band” and “Best Original Band” in Suburban Nite Life Magazine. Joining Lisa on her CD promotional tour are two former members of Lisa’s previous project, “Counterpart” - Dewey Kasko on drums and Gregg Albahari on guitar and vocals. Ricky Showalter (formerly of Liquid Soul) rounds out this talented ensemble on bass and vocals. As with her former cover band, “Counterpart”, which Lisa fronted and successfully managed from 1991 – 1998, the Lisa René band promises to deliver a first-rate, entertaining and engaging show. Attendees of a Lisa René show will enjoy a wide variety of quality music. The band’s repertoire consists of several original Lisa René songs and cover songs in the same style as those on the CD, by artists such as Melissa Etheridge, Sheryl Crow, Pat Benatar, Shania Twain, No Doubt, Aretha Franklin, Garbage, Jewel, Lenny Kravitz, Fleetwood Mac, Rolling Stones…and many more!

In 2000, Lisa released her debut CD, “The Eyes Have It” on her own record label, Vision One Records. With a mix of pop, rock, funk and dance, “The Eyes Have It” showcases Lisa’s versatile songwriting capabilities. Her songs feature endless melodies with countless hooks and her emotionally revealing lyrics speak of universal experiences, with an underlying theme of a search for truth. Her song “It All Trickles Down” was awarded Honorable Mention from the international John Lennon Songwriting Contest. Lisa joined forces with local guitarist, Marty Kuster - of the band “Tongue Bath”, on 12 of the tracks, and longtime friend and keyboardist, Gary Vlk - formerly of the bands “Shortcuts” and “The All Night News Boys”, on 1 track, in rounding out the musical arrangements of each song. Produced by her husband, Joe “Dewey” Kasko, “The Eyes Have It” takes the listener on a musical journey. From the catchy drum groove on the opening track, “Stranded”…to the haunting subject matter of “She Said No”…to the acappella lullaby on the final “secret” song, the listener will be intrigued by each new song’s style and content while Lisa passionately delivers each distinct song.