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Lisa Bastoni: News

The Mysterious Disappearance of Lisa Bastoni, Explained - December 13, 2007

Two songs I’m thinking of today:


“Everything passes, everything changes, just do what you think you should do…” -- from “To Ramona” by Bob Dylan


“We’re coming upon the time in our lives when the little dreams live but the big dream dies - and it’s not for nothing.” --from “Hard Times in Babylon” by Eliza Gilkyson


When I was seventeen I met my friend Dylan. He was singing “Brownsville Girl” in Oscar’s Deli, and I thought, “If I could only do what he’s doing, I don’t need to do anything else.” So I started to write songs, and began cultivating the courage to play these songs outside my bedroom.


A few years later, when my grandfather was in the hospital for the last time, he said to me: “Go sing your heart out.” So that’s what I did. Over time, I sang my heart out in delis, coffee shops, bars, subway stations, rehab centers, homeless shelters, concert halls.


I have had an adventure that’s lasted ten years. It’s been a series of small successes, and it was all more that I ever could have hoped for. I made up some more songs and I drove them around the country, stumbling upon heartaches, maps, coffee cups and guitar strings; and found kindness everywhere.


I aspired to a beatnik existence. I found my way around Los Angeles, San Francisco, Burlington, New York, Austin, New Orleans, Atlanta, Nashville, Cleveland, Chicago, Kansas City. I got a bird tattoo with Naomi in Wichita. I heard my songs on the radio, saw my name in some music magazines, opened for Famous Musicians, signed some autographs, even! I slept in cars, motels, tents, big fluffy beds, on pull-out couches and air mattresses, on blankets on the ground; I moved a million times. I sang for my supper. I sang my fool heart out.


Eventually, I found my way home. I am now In My Thirties. I have become a homebody. I like to cook in my kitchen. I like to sing songs with my banjo-playing boyfriend in our living room. The idea of burning up gasoline driving alone from coast to coast no longer appeals to me. I do feel BIG twinges of nostalgia when I hear about the cool things my musician friends are doing. But for me, I'm finding myself very much needing this period of quiet reflection. Next summer I would like to have a garden. I have a day job I actually like, at a nifty non-profit, with health insurance that’s not courtesy of the state. I’m slowly working my way out of the debts I have accumulated while running wild.


There’s a humility you can find by singing in the subway. Nobody has asked you to play, you just play your songs over and over, and take in the smiles and the funny expressions. You step over puddles of urine, you pause when you get yelled at, or when someone starts to cry or asks your name, and then you keep singing. You say “thank you” every time someone throws you something, even if it’s only a twig or a nickel.


There’s another kind of grace I'm seeking, simply by settling into my little life and living it. Working, running, writing, singing, loving, laughing, reading. Meditating on the idea of empathy. Trying to listen for a change. I want music to be a part of my life, but I need to figure out how to really just enjoy it again.


Though I’m not scheduling many shows right now, music for me won’t be a closed book, and nothing’s ever really over. I have no regrets, and I don’t feel that any effort or time was wasted. But for anyone who’s wondering, I wanted to share my thoughts, to let you know how much your encouragement has meant to me. You've pulled me through some of my best times as well as some of my bleakest times, and I am always grateful for your company and support. I hope to share music with you again one day, but for now the adventure continues in a different, quieter way.


Thank you for your interest, and thanks for listening.


All the best to you,

Lisa B.

Back to the Old Home Place, I mean, Somerville - May 1, 2007

Tonight I am packing my backpack for a quick trip down to Nashville.
I'll be recording some harmonies on Naomi Sommers' upcoming album,
which is being produced by Jim Rooney! Jim has worked with John
Prine, Iris DeMent, and Nanci Griffith, so it will be a delight to be
a part of the recording.

The other exciting news is that my song "Southern Belle" as well as
Gray Sky Girls' "Alaska" are featured this Spring on Lufthansa's
InFlight Radio Program.

But the most exciting news, for me, anyway, is that I will be moving
back to Boston over the summer. Through extensive trial and error,
I've made the shocking discovery that there really is no place like
home!

Next month: updates on my next experiment, tentatively called the
"wheel."

Thanks for reading! Be well, and see you soon,

Lisa B.

There's a Swallow on my Arm - October 20, 2006

So much has happened since the last time I wrote. The two weeks I spent tour with Naomi last month were full of adventure and discovery. We played some great places (see past shows), drove on some legendary roads (Highway 61!), and met some great folks (too many to mention!). We even got matching tattoos in Wichita.

Mostly, though, it was inspiring to have the chance to stay on a small organic farm/homestead in Wisconsin. We were there for only a few days, but it sparked a whole new desire in me to become more involved in and aware of my/our relationship to the planet. It's bringing me back to the good old vegetarian, no-leg-shaving, patchouli-wearing, litter collecting, McDonalds picketing days of my youth.


Now I want to build a house (a small, earth-friendly house, with solar panels and a composting toilet) and plant vegetables. This is in spite of the facts that I 1) accidentally killed all my potted tomato plants last summer and 2) haven't used a saw since I was 12 and tried to saw off the front of a regular drawer of the TV cabinet to make it into a hinged drawer.

Oh well. I'll keep you posted (and beamed, ha ha ha).

Lisa B.

Recommended listening:
Bob Dylan - Modern Times

Recommended reading:
James Howard Kunstler - The Long Emergency

What are you reading/listening to?

On the Road Again - September 8, 2006

Naomi and I will be leaving in a couple days for our tour out to the midwest. It's our first Gray Sky Girls tour since March 2005! Last time we went on tour, I ended up staying in Austin TX for a year. This time, I promise promise promise that I will come back to Massachusetts, no matter how much Wichita may rock my world.

We have a new Gray Sky Girls CD coming out this month on American Melody Records. Ordering information will be available soon. There will also be a companion booklet with recipes, road tip and cartoons! To hear some samples, go to www.grayskygirls.com.

Hope to see you out there!
XOXO,
Lisa B.

Welcome to the new website - June 11, 2006

Seven things I am happy about today:


1) New England is beautiful in the springtime! Even when it's cold and drizzly for three weeks straight.


2) My new EP Small Time Big Town is here! It's available at shows and by mail order. (Check the "music" page for audio samples.)


3) Naomi Sommers lives only minutes away from me! So we can practice and be Gray Sky Girls again.


4) The Gray Sky Girls have a new website, too!


5) I just bought a bunch of tiny pre-fab hinged wooden boxes. Mini Bob Dylan Dioramas are back in production! I'll post some pictures soon.


6) The ever-elusive organic, unsweetened dried mango is currently in stock at the local Trader Joe's. Yay!


7) You are taking the time to visit me here at lisabastoni.com.

Thanks for stopping by!