Liza Colby Rocks Center Stage

By Rhona Melsky

It was as if Tina Turner was coming out of retirement and doing one last show. I was there to see Liza Colby Sound at Berlin, a small, intimate club in Manhattan’s Lower East Side on Avenue A. Alphabet City is a neighborhood that has been known for everything from immigrants to bohemians to after-hours rock clubs that were the rage in the 90s.

The usual suspects of NYC’s rock scene and their followers were hanging at the bar and slowly edging toward the small stage. As the place filled up, photographers sporting expensive equipment highlighted the importance of the night. I had never seen anything like it in such a small venue.

I stumbled on the band while on photographer Alan Rand’s FB page. There were his images of a scantily clad woman onstage wearing a leotard, stilettos and the perfect cat eyeliner. Her kick-ass body exuded raw yet feminine sensuality and her long, strong legs held her up as she bent over backwards. When I found the band’s video “My World,” I was sold. The woman could sing. That’s all I needed to know.

Music Video from the EP DRAW

I spotted Rand with camera at the front of the stage and introduced myself.

“Have you ever seen Liza before?” he asked me. “No,” I said. He chuckled, “Get ready. You’re in for a real treat.”

The Sweet Stuff

The four-piece original rock/soul/fusion band is fronted by Liza Colby on vocals with Alec Morton on bass, Charles P. Roth on drums, and Jay Shepard on guitar. There’s no autotune. No backing tracks. No BS. Just pure rock, soul and energy. It’s live and raw.

The group has been around almost a decade and they are tight and on top of their game. The songs are deep and complicated enough so you know these musicians aren’t playing around. They’re memorable, so by the end of the night, those songs played over in my head and I wanted more.

Showstopper

Liza Colby Sound is not just a band of great musicians. The songs rock, but it’s also the show. Front woman Liza Colby brings some Tina Turner, Iggy Pop and a bit of Wendy O. Williams to an act that rivals all three. She gives Mick Jagger’s stage strut a run for his money … and in 5-inch heels.

She drips sexuality with a tiny touch of tom boy that you almost miss as she playfully engages while teasing the audience. You can feel the camaraderie of the band members and see their mutual admiration. They have fun, especially when Colby and Shepard feed off each other.

Liza Colby Sound (Photo by Rhona Melsky) — Liza Colby Sound
(Photo by Rhona Melsky)

Colby wants you to want her. And you do. You don’t want her to stop singing. The voice is powerful but she can bring it down Ever So Quietly. She wants you to beg her for more. And you do that, too. Her sound is a little Aretha Franklin with a dash of Steve Marriott. There are influences but Colby is her own person with her own voice and sound and you’ll hang onto for every last note.

This 21st century band has a sound that seems from another time with a vibe of the 70s that was pure rock and roll all night.

Who is Liza Colby?

Born in Northampton, Mass., Liza Colby was raised outside of Hartford, Conn., in a town called Avon. She comes from a musical family. Her mother, Beverly Rohlehr, is a singer and her father, John Colby, is a composer, producer and keyboardist. Her brother plays trombone and piano.

“It was an open household with supportive parents,” Colby said. “My mom’s black and my dad’s white. They fostered my personality. It was a totally good childhood. I started singing as soon as I could talk. My parents instilled it in my brother and me that we should do what makes us happy.”

After high school she tried college but it wasn’t where she wanted to be. She wanted music.

Her parents gave her an ultimatum and said they would pay for school but if she dropped out, she’d be on her own. She chose music and moved in with friends in Providence, R.I. She saved up enough money in nine months to move to New York City.

“I was on my own for real when I was 19,” Colby said. “I just kind of took the plunge.”

Bartending, catering gigs, telemarketing, braiding hair, Colby worked to pay the rent. Now she focuses on music and making it happen.

Influencing Liza

Of her stage persona, Colby said, “It’s just a beautiful amalgamation of what I think a performer is. Tina is secure in her sexuality and is an amazing singer. With Iggy there is an intrinsic chaos in his performances, while his songs are so ahead of its time and so relevant now.”

Colby’s “cool musician” parents made sure she had a good dose of the best music. Her mother is one of her influences and exposed her to Aretha Franklin, Liza’s all-time favorite vocalist.

One Phone Call Reaps a Band

Colby’s husband Geoff was instrumental in bringing the band together. He was friends with Adam Roth, the band’s original guitarist and drummer Charles’ brother.

“You should listen to my girlfriend’s music,” Geoff said to Adam who was quickly sold.

One phone call brought Colby the three musicians who would form The Liza Colby Sound until Adam passed away suddenly from cancer in 2015.

The band has toured around the states and played Spain last summer and recently Japan.

“Every time we do a new country it just blows my mind,” Colby said. “For so long I’ve traveled the world singing backup to other singers but to be able to sing my music in these countries is just insane; it’s just wild. You’re going to another part of the world and people are singing your songs.”

“It’s weird not being around the band all the time after we’re on the road and you’re not with them. I love being with them.”

Have Heels, Will Kick Ass

Of her signature stilettos Colby said, “I don’t even think about my heels, they are such an afterthought. I love the feel of being taller and it feels powerful and feminine. I just dig it. The hard part is everything else; planning the tour, getting the record out, getting the video out, dealing with band members… it’s never hard getting on the stage. Sometimes I get nervous. But it’s not debilitating. You should be nervous. If you’re not then maybe you should be doing something else.”

Music, Marriage and Mongo

When her band isn’t playing, Colby loves seeing live music especially in smaller venues. She’s seen Aretha Franklin at Radio City, Springsteen at the Garden, Ray Charles, and Paul McCartney.

“I love seeing huge names and I love seeing local bands,” she said. “I want to be inspired. I’m always routing for the band to be amazing.”

When Colby’s band plays, her husband often cheers on the sidelines.

“It means a lot,” she said. “Both of us are artists. We are committed to each other and the arts.”

And, they love their dog Mongo, a little Pomeranian/poodle mix who is all of 3 pounds. He doesn’t like loud sounds so he won’t be at a Liza Colby Sound show anytime soon.

What’s Next?

With European dates slated for 2019, Liza Colby Sound also has a new record in the works, a new video and hopes to play more shows next year to reach more people.

“We’re coming in at 122 and I’d like to try to hit the goal of 150 next year and have a No. 1 song. I’d like to fucking come in and grab the queen of rock and roll title,” Colby said. “I just think that right now women need it, we all need this camaraderie of amazing women artists.”

And down the line when she’s a little older and hanging up those 5-inch heels, she said she’ll still wear heels but maybe a comfortable 3 inches.

Check out Liza Colby Sound’s website, on Facebook, and on Instagram.

Catch Liza in action live on stage here:

Uploaded by Robert O'Haire on 2018-11-10.