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Long Island Country Sensation Lisa Matassa Shines in Westbury
May 21, 2012

Country Music @ Suite 101
May 21, 2012 Written by Markos Papadatos

A review of country singer Lisa Matassa's set at the NYCB Theatre in Westbury, New York, where she performed her new single "Wouldn't You Like to Know."

On Sunday, May 20, 2012, country sensation Lisa Matassa performed at the NYCB Theatre at Westbury, and was backed by two gifted acoustic guitar players, Tony Bruno and Colin Smith.

"This is incredible!" she exclaimed. "Performing here is a bucket list item for me. Thank you for sharing this with me."

She opened with "I Don't Feel Anything," where she showcased her impressive range.

"If you want put your hands together since we have no percussion," she stated prior to performing "Somebody's Baby," where her vocals were reminiscent to those of country songstresses Jamie O'Neal and Jo Dee Messina.

"The best part of this journey that I am on is that I am working with talented musicians," she remarked.

It was followed with the poignant "Learning as You Grow," where the stage was graced with a green and blue backdrop. She noted that she wrote this song about her kids and it deals with parenthood and guiding kids in the right direction. "As a parent you make mistakes and you learn as the children grow," she said.

The Long Island native expressed her gratitude towards her local audience. "I'm just looking out there and taking it all in. I'm taking pictures in my head," she said.

She continued with her CD's title track "Sunrise Highway," which she noted is a song about her journey, as well as a metaphor of going down that road of being a successful artist. "I dedicate it to all of you," she added.

Just when you thought Matassa could not get any better, she proves her audience wrong by paying homage to both Whitney Houston and Dolly Parton with a heartfelt version of the mega-hit "I Will Always Love You."

"We've lost some amazing talent this year," she shared. "I did this song when Whitney had passed, so I would like to do this again for you."

Her bittersweet rendition of the Parton-penned classic was controlled, expressive, powerful and compelling. It would have made Whitney proud, and it garnered Matassa a deserving standing ovation from the Westbury crowd.

She went on to sing her newest radio single "Wouldn't You Like to Know," which she dubs as a "fun song," and subsequently noted that they filmed a video for it, and they presented it to Country Music Television (CMT).

Finally, she revealed some of her biggest musical influences to the crowd, which included Bon Jovi, Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline, rock band Heart (Ann and Nancy Wilson), as well as Bryan Adams.

Matassa closed her seven-song concert with Bryan Adams' signature tune "Heaven."

"Thank you," she concluded. "You guys have been great!"

The Verdict

Overall, Lisa Matassa put on a great show at Westbury's NYCB Theatre, and showcased her superb vocal ability and songwriting skills! Nashville ought to take notice of this extremely talented woman! Hopefully, she will return again soon in this hometown venue with her own headlining show.

For more on Lisa Matassa, check out her official website

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