Sammy Rae & The Friends sell out Teragram Ballroom
Combining jazz, rock and soul influences, Sammy Rae & The Friends create a contemporary sound for audiences who enjoy music from a variety of genres, and shared it with a sold-out crowd at the Teragram Ballroom. Packed with listeners eager to join the group for their first ever round of performances on the West Coast, the space overflowed with unmatched, familial energy Friday night.
As of this performance, the group of “Friends” consists of C-Bass Chiriboga (drums), James Quinlan (bass), Will Leet (guitar/keys), Max Zooi (tenor saxophone/synths), Debbie Tjong (vocals), and Kellon Anderson (alto saxophone), who, when combined, create an unforgettable rhythm between them.
For the group, their “Follow Me Like The Moon” tour displayed the continued effort by musicians around the country to sustain live performances and music making throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
“It is essential in those periods where everything feels out of your control that you dig and look for the lesson, because there’s always one in there, and figure out how to move through those periods with grace and gratitude,” said lead vocalist Sammy Rae during the concert.
The performance was full of unique features. When Rae made comments in between songs, she sang them rather than speaking. Throughout the show, Rae gave the microphone to individuals in the audience and let spectators borrow hats and other props. The Teragram Ballroom, about 10 minutes from USC by car, is one of the most coveted intimate venues for rock and indie artists, and was perfect for Sammy Rae & the Friends’ collaborative and inviting performance. The relatively small venue allowed Rae to centralize audience participation and engagement in a completely transformational way.
Their unique approach is part of the reason their fans are so excited to share their work with others. Addy Lillard and Ella Lavian attended the performance after both hearing about the group through activities at USC.
“I really got to [hear them] when the a cappella group I’m in covered one of their songs,” Lillard, a freshman majoring in theatre, said. “So we sang ‘The Feeling,’ and from there, ‘Jackie Onassis’ — loved that song — and then into the rest of their discography.”
While their music beckons sounds from the past, Sammy Rae & The Friends also focus on the more contemporary themes of queerness and sexuality, in songs such as “Jackie Onassis,” a queer female awakening centered on former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. For Lavian, a freshman majoring in environmental studies, “Jackie Onasis” was the accompanying track for a dance performance she had seen on campus and introduced her to the group.
“It was probably the most beautiful dance I’ve ever seen in my life,” Lavian said. “I added that onto my playlist and played it while I was getting ready in the morning for a month straight.”
The group distinguished themselves by creating a sense of familiarity with the audience, continuously smiling and asking the audience to “be their friends” several times throughout the night. Lillard also explained how Sammy Rae’s precise vocal control sounds “almost like an instrument” and that she has “never heard anyone sing like that” before.
The group is no stranger to that sort of praise. They commented during the show that they were ecstatic with the high amount of streams they received for their latest track, “Follow Me Like The Moon.” The band also announced that they were just named one of NPR’s Slingshot’s 2022 Artists to Watch.
Sammy Rae & The Friends began their “Follow Me Like The Moon” Tour on Jan. 16 at the City National Grove of Anaheim and will continue their West Coast leg until the end of January.
Correction: This article was updated to include the name of a band member, Debbie Tjong, and remove the names of two former band members, Myra Moon and Kaya Kulu, who did not play with the group at Teregram.