New Jersey Stage logo
New Jersey Stage Menu



 

#48 Lisa Bouchelle: Paint Your Dreams

By Gary Wien

originally published: 01/28/2011


As a child growing up in Trenton, the only time Lisa Bouchelle’s parents stopped fighting was when Lisa was singing.  Her mother was an alcoholic and her father struggled with three jobs to make ends meet.  All of their problems seemed to subside when Lisa would start to sing.  At four years old, she won a talent contest while singing “America The Beautiful” dressed in an American flag costume.  It was at that moment that she knew she wanted to be a singer.

Growing up never did get much easier for Lisa; her mother ultimately succumbed to alcoholism and her father died from complications during a heart operation.  She eventually ended up moving to Arizona to live with her grandfather where she stayed until finishing high school.

After graduation, Lisa began performing her own songs under the band name October Baby (named after the month she was born). One of her first big breaks actually came from providing lead vocals for Mastermind, a progressive metal band, on their album Angels Of The Apocalypse.  In addition to providing vocals for various albums and performing with her band, Lisa also began a career in modeling that would play a role in her highly successful D.I.Y. strategy.

Paint Your Dreams was Lisa’s third solo release. With this album, she showcases folk and pop songs built around her stunning vocals and tremendous range.  She continues to grow as a songwriter with catchy songs like “Insane” and the absolutely beautiful “The Other Side Of The Rainbow (Dorothy).”

In the past few years, Lisa has toured the country with acts like Blues Traveler and Meatloaf, and has become a fixture in the New Jersey music scene.

Highlights include “Insane,” “A Kiss Is Worth 1,000 Words,” “Along For The Ride,” “Spirit In The Night,” and “The Other Side Of The Rainbow (Dorothy).”


From the book Are You Listening? The Top 100 Albums of 2001-2010 by New Jersey Artists by Gary Wien



Advertise with NJ Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info



About the author:

Gary Wien has been covering the arts since 2001 and has had work published with Jersey Arts, Upstage Magazine, Elmore Magazine, Princeton Magazine, Backstreets and other publications. He is a three-time winner of the Asbury Music Award for Top Music Journalist and the author of Beyond the Palace (the first book on the history of rock and roll in Asbury Park) and Are You Listening? The Top 100 Albums of 2001-2010 by New Jersey Artists. In addition, he runs New Jersey Stage and the online radio station The Penguin Rocks. His personal website is at lightyscorner.com. He can be contacted at [email protected].


EVENT PREVIEWS

(NEWARK, NJ) -- The internationally celebrated Salsa icon, Tito Nieves - affectionately known as "El Pavarotti de la Salsa" - is set to electrify the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) on Saturday, September 26, 2026 at 8:00pm with his tour, "50 Años La Historia... Continúa." The performance will take place at NJPAC's prestigious Prudential Hall, Betty Wold Johnson Stage.
New Jersey Film Festival Fall 2026 Includes a Concert Featuring Two Bands of Rutgers Students

New Jersey Film Festival Fall 2026 Includes a Concert Featuring Two Bands of Rutgers Students

(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- Hanging Coats and Lawns, part of New Brunswick's basement music scene, take the stage for an audio-visual performance on October 2 , 2026 from 7:00pm to 9:00pm. A Rutgers student is injecting some sonic youth from the New Brunswick music scene into this year's New Jersey Fall Film Festival.
CarteretPAC presents W.A.S.P. with "1984 to Headless" Tour

CarteretPAC presents W.A.S.P. with "1984 to Headless" Tour

(CARTERET, NJ) -- W.A.S.P. brings its "1984 To Headless" Fall North American Tour to the Carteret Performing Arts & Events Center on Saturday, October 3, 2026 at 8:00pm. The band will pay tribute to their 1st Four Albums... Live! The lineup includes Special Guest KK's Priest.
Outpost in the Burbs presents James Maddock on October 11th

Outpost in the Burbs presents James Maddock on October 11th

(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- Outpost in the Burbs presents James Maddock on Sunday, October 11, 2026 at the First Congregational Church in Montclair. Maddock's status as a fixture on the Folk and Americana scene is confirmed with every listen of any song in his prodigious catalog. Showtime is 7:30pm.
Outpost in the Burbs presents Suzanne Vega - Flying with Angels on October 30th

Outpost in the Burbs presents Suzanne Vega - Flying with Angels on October 30th

(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- Outpost in the Burbs presents Suzanne Vega - Flying with Angels on October 30, 2026 at 8:00pm (doors at 7:00pm). The concert will take place at the First Congregational Church (40 South Fullerton Avenue) in Montclair.

CarteretPAC presents John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band

(CARTERET, NJ) -- The Carteret Performing Arts & Events Center presents John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band on Friday, November 13, 2026 at 8:00pm. The legendary Rhode Island multi-platinum rock band began their career in 1973 and achieved mainstream success in the 1980s with the "Eddie & The Cruisers – Motion Picture Soundtrack".

Outpost in the Burbs Presents Richard Thompson with Zara Phillips in Benefit Concert for Toni's Kitchen on November 21st

(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- Outpost in the Burbs will present an extraordinary evening of music featuring singer-songwriter and guitarist Richard Thompson with Zara Phillips on Saturday, November 21, 2026 at the First Congregational Church in Montclair. The special concert will serve as a fundraiser in support of Toni's Kitchen, the Montclair based nonprofit dedicated to combating food insecurity and related challenges in Essex County and beyond. Showtime is 8:00pm.

 

 

Advertise with NJ Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info