“GO PUT A SMILE ON SOMEBODY’S FACE, GO TELL SOMEBODY THEY’VE GOT A PLACE IN THIS WORLD, GO TELL SOMEBODY YOU WANNA BE FRIENDS WITH THEM.” -The Mantra of The Friends, by Sammy Rae & The Friends
With the atmosphere in the live music world that concert goers have built up, especially to a year like 2024, they’re not just expecting a night full of stunning talent, knockout surprises and “party rocking,” in the fine words of LMFAO. Many lovers of music in today’s society also cling to a community that an artist is able to create from scratch. They itch for a place they can call a safe space, possibly even searching for what feels like another home to them. Listeners want to feel like they belong, they’re being heard (or even being distracted) of their hardships in life for a few hours, to celebrate perseverance on this Earth together, and when they do, they feel an utmost connection to the artist that granted them that gift. Has any artist in your lifetime ever done that for you?
February 12, 2024, I headed for Providence, RI to experience my first ever Sammy Rae & the Friends gig, opened by the wonderfully talented Julia Pratt, and from start to finish, the entire night felt like an initiation into a new world. In fact, like a new family. Like a gigantic slumber party for theater kids, it was so exciting to watch this group of music lovers dance with strangers to each side of them, have plenty of interactive moments with the group, and see a couple in love kissing in every which way I looked. The emphasis that Sammy and the Friends made on this event being a space of belonging made me wonder back to the days in decades past if this is possibly how attendees felt when they experienced their first Grateful Dead show. Was this what people meant when they would say they felt like anything could happen at a Dead show and everything would be alright because of the people they had around them? At it’s core, that’s what it for sure felt like. The magnetism of love in that room could not be matched.
On top of the incomparable passion of the atmosphere, this band has also got some of the most unbelievable fun and talent an act could bring to a stage. Their passion to collaborate as artists shines bright in their performance, through their sets, costumes, teamwork and connections to each other across the board, or I suppose in this instance, the venue. Sammy Rae’s voice is just as wonderful live as it is on their tracks, as if made by silk. Her jazzy but funky, yet also bluesy voice is mesmerizing and will hold you at a stand still more than once throughout the show. Along with her efforts to make the energy of the production loving, electric and safe, she is an absolute showstopper, only to be complimented greatly by her family of musicians behind her.
Check out my photo gallery from Sammy Rae & the Friends here, and make sure to listen to their newest singles ‘Thieves’ and ‘Coming Home Song’ before their debut album drops this year.
