Artie Coll |

A Woman of Two Passions:
Music and Polarity Therapy

A Conversation with Lisa Nemzo

During the 80’s, I bartended at a rock club called the Blue Lagune Saloon in Marina del Rey, California. I saw a lot of great bands during my time there, the Plimsouls, Etta James, The Moore Brothers (Joe Cocker’s backup band during the Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour), Billy and the Beaters, The Bus Boys; Kathy Valentine of the Go Goes celebrated her 21st birthday there to a virtual who’s who of the 80’s rock and roll elite. Yet one young lady stood out to me back then among all of these 80’s pop rockers and hard rocking’ and r&b bands. I’m talking about Lisa Nemzo. Today, on Tales of the Road Warriors!

Lisa Nemzo. She did this acoustic guitar solo during a song called Try and Run, in which she used harmonics to create an exciting instrumental break before going back into the final chorus. I was serving drinks to a thirsty audience; business as usual when she broke into that amazing solo. I stopped waiting on customers and just watched with my note open like everybody else who became an instant fan that night .

Harmonics are created by lightly touching the string and then pulling away as you pluck or strum. A lot of us use them as an accent, but I had never seen anyone take it and run with it like that before. So, that became her signature.

She has toured Europe and the U.S. in several incarnations. Read her bio here to get an idea of the full scope of this talented lady.

In her other life, Lisa works as a healer in Polarity Therapy and works to raise money for the American Polarity Therapy Association. She is also an activist and works with war veterans to make sure they are not forgotten and receive the benefits and treatment they truly deserve. Some folks talk about it. Lisa Nemzo is a doer.