(left to right) Kellon Reese, Will Leet, Sammy Rae, Max Zooi, C-bass Chiriboga, Debbie Tjong and James Quinlan, the seven members of jazz/funk/rock band Sammy Rae & The Friends. Credit: Courtesy of Mia Aguirre
Monday evening, Sammy Rae & The Friends visited Columbus and shattered an age-old dichotomy; diverging from its name, the “Follow Me Like The Moon Tour” was sunshine personified.
As a teenager, Sammy Rae said she dabbled in singing and songwriting, enamored with the notion of creating a band. Now, at 28 years old, she said she is the lead vocalist of Sammy Rae & The Friends, a seven-piece musical ensemble based in Brooklyn, New York. Hoping to evade artistic constraint, Sammy Rae & The Friends pull elements from the jazz, funk and rock genres to craft a smooth sound, Rae said.
“We all met on the New York City music scene, and we all come from different studies of music,” Rae said.
Having released EPs in the past, such as “The Good Life” in 2018 and “Let’s Throw a Party” in 2021, Sammy Rae & The Friends put out the single “Follow Me Like the Moon” in 2022. The song has inspired the group’s ongoing tour across the U.S.
Drenched in indigo and yellow light, opening act Melt — a pop and jazz group — maximized its timeslot, especially during the songs “Don’t Want Me” and “Hours.” The group was able to seamlessly transition from mellow to mirthful, and guitarist Marlo Shankweiler’s shredding added a dose of drama to the set list. Lead singer Veronica Stewart-Frommer had a wonderfully hard-edged voice, ideal for lyrics about the ups and downs of tumultuous relationships.
Melt closed with “Sour Candy” — its debut single with more than 7 million streams on Spotify. The song was gritty, bittersweet and an effective microcosm for the band as a whole. Hard-hitting instrumentation served as an outer shell for the song, not quite disguising the vulnerable lyricism.
“It’s great to open for Sammy Rae & The Friends because we get exposed to an entirely new audience,” Stewart-Frommer said after exiting the stage. “We have a few more nights on the road with them, and then two of our own headlining shows, which is exciting.”
Rushing the stage with vigor, Sammy Rae & The Friends maintained and increased the energy created by Melt. The movement was fluid, and the music never stopped. Even during transitional periods, Rae addressed the audience in a singsong manner, showcasing her impressive range and impossibly rich vibrato.
“We try to create a wall of music for the 90 minutes you’re seeing us,” Rae said. “We want it to be an immersive experience.”
The utilization of props by Sammy Rae & The Friends was unexpected but visually intriguing. For the song “Denim Jacket,” Rae borrowed a fan’s coat as she sang about the perils of anxiety and the transformative power of clothing. “Jackie Onassis” was also a fan favorite, exploring the elation of acknowledging one’s queerness.
“To be queer is to be unlimited,” Rae said to the crowd before performing a cover of Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.”
Rae exhibited an extraordinary amount of vocal control in “Flesh & Bone.” In the span of a few minutes, she transitioned from operatic staccato to rock-like rasp, conveying the song’s overall theme of self-realization. Debbie Tjong (keys/vocals) offered up lush vocal harmonies, and Kellon Reese (saxophone) dominated all instrumental sections.
True to the name of the group, Rae was the night’s brightest star. Although each “friend” had a moment or two to dazzle, the concert’s collective radiance could have benefitted from a more prolonged spotlight on each artist.
In terms of scenery, The Columbus Athenaeum didn’t require much embellishment. The proscenium arch framed musicians in a fringe of gold, generating an air of understated elegance.
The lighting was colorful and vivacious, relying on warm hues such as magenta or buttercup yellow. White circles were projected on the walls during “Follow Me Like the Moon,” ensuring the crowd was enveloped by abstract celestial bodies. Generally, the beams moved in chaotic patterns and became gentler when a song’s emotional climax was reached. This implementation of light mimicked the band’s philosophy, visually asserting that little lessons are embedded within the messiness of life.
Full of candor, the music of Sammy Rae & The Friends not only filled the cavernous venue but also the minds and hearts of the audience.
“We’re endlessly grateful and enormously humble,” Rae said. “Visually, I love to look around and see so many people that are friends with each other, or becoming friends with each other.”
Rating: 4.5/5
