Sammy Rae & The Friends light up the stage at Free At Noon

Not much more that you can say other than wow. It was an absolutely jaw-dropping performance from Sammy Rae & The Friends, who kicked off their latest tour at Friday’s Free at Noon concert with energy, passion, and good music. The group brought in a very large crowd as well, filling World Cafe Live to the brim, the emotions and overall atmosphere were amazing.

As for Sammy Rae & The Friends, calling them talented would be an understatement. Sammy Rae, the lead singer, has an incredibly powerful voice. She quite literally can melt your heart away with her out-of-this world vocals, dancing, and delivery was truly something very special to watch. Along with Rae, there are of course, the friends: C-Bass Chiriboga on drums, James Quinlan on bass, Will Leet on guitar, Max Zooi on the tenor saxophone, Kellon Anderson on the alto saxophone and Kaya Kulu on the keyboard. Together, with Sammy Rae, they truly create an astounding level of music.

The group’s setlist totaled eight songs, some of which were from their newly-released debut album, Something for Everybody. They started off with an exciting, head swinging song called “Talk It Up,” an astoundingly beautiful song which was then followed up by “We Made It” and “Luck of the Draw.” These three songs truly set the tempo for the rest of the concert, and grasped everyone’s attention instantly.

Next on the setlist was a song called “David.” This song was beautiful, but also incredibly sad too. Each song shared a different theme, one of them being about mental health, and the awareness that’s needed on this issue. Another song, “Jackie,” was focused on women’s empowerment. Both of these songs sent powerful messages, especially to everyone in the crowd and those listening on air.

Sammy Rae’s delivery and enthusiasm were truly inspiring. And though her lyrics touched on those heavier topics, they also celebrated concepts of simply being kind to others, and of friendship. These messages resonated with the crowd listening, and will continue to resonate with others as their tour continues. Listen back to the Free At Noon concert in the player above, check out Something For Everybody here, and check out the band’s full tour dates here.