Sammy Rae & The Friends create magic in LA
The band took to the Hollywood Palladium Thursday night with their album “Something for Everybody.”
By HENRY KOFMAN
Sammy Rae & The Friends, a band inspired by classic rock with a mix of jazz and everything in between, took to the Hollywood Palladium stage Thursday for a night of singing, dancing and an all-around good time.
Lead singer Sammy Rae has wanted to work in music since graduating high school, though she initially wanted to be a sound engineer. However, she ended up studying childhood education at Manhattan University. Being in New York she had more opportunities, which led to her decision to drop out to pursue music. She emphasized her passion for letting yourself change to find the best possible version of you to exist, and pursuing your dreams despite life not always being easy.
“Let the future that you dream of come to you. You have to work for it, but if you don’t have it right now, don’t give up in pursuing it,” Sammy Rae told the Daily Trojan. “As life happens to you and around you and for you, you’re allowed to change, and you should … As soon as anything starts to feel inauthentic, give yourself permission to change that.”
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Sammy Rae attributed her songwriting inspirations to Billy Joel, Paul Simon and Bruce Springsteen, among other great guitar and piano lyricists. Arranging becomes a highly collaborative process for herself and her “friends.” The band is more than just people making music together — they are constantly moving forward together.
“We have to continue to push boundaries and try new things and adjust to one another’s interests and what we love and what we want to do, and we have to treat each other like a family,” Sammy Rae said. “Communication is key. We very much think of each other like family, and family doesn’t just break up.”
Sammy Rae & The Friends started to rise to fame with the 2018 release of their EP “The Good Life” and later with their 2021 EP “Let’s Throw a Party.” Throwing a party is exactly what they did for around 2,500 concertgoers oin the tour for their debut album, “Something for Everybody.” The tour is something they are incredibly grateful for.
“It’s a dream come true,” Sammy Rae said. “It’s something that people hope for in their careers, and it isn’t always guaranteed to happen, but the fact that we can travel as much as we do, and we spend as much time on the road as we do is just something we never, ever take for granted.”
There are still 28 shows left on the tour, ending in London in February 2025. While the band loves touring, Sammy Rae noted it is not always easy. It is hard to miss family, friends and pets and to miss some of the birthdays and holidays but she has developed a little tradition to stay connected.
“We’re at a place now where we’re playing venues that are large enough that a lot of these venues offer this service where they leave out postcards and a mailbox, and they will stamp and send your mail for you,” Sammy Rae said. “So I’ve adopted this habit of sending a postcard as close to every day as I can, so it feels like [my family and friends] are right with me.”
The show opened with drag queen and environmentalist Pattie Gonia singing “Disco Queen.” On stage, Pattie Gonia described the significance of nature to them: that is where they feel loved.
“That’s important to me because the hometown and the church and the God that I was raised on loved me with conditions,” Pattie Gonia said. “I’ve grown to know as an adult that love with conditions isn’t love. It’s actually a special form of hate. So to me, when I’m out in nature, that forest, in that cathedral, and feel that love — that is God to me.”
Pattie Gonia led into “That’s God,” expressing their feelings for nature in song, before continuing to perform an array of songs that was an entire show in its own right.
As the excitement was still high from Pattie Gonia and concertgoers waited eagerly for Sammy Rae & The Friends to take the stage, attendees shared their personal reasons for loving the band.
“They’re very just campy for one, I also have always loved musical theater, and they have a lot of that influence in there,” said concertgoer Rowan Willett. “It’s cool to see them branching more into rock because that’s something that I’m really into.”
Sammy Rae attributed her songwriting inspirations to Billy Joel, Paul Simon and Bruce Springsteen, among other great guitar and piano lyricists. (Henry Kofman / Daily Trojan)
In true rock style, a bright light shined from onstage and revealed the silhouette of Sammy Rae. As she stood, the anticipation was high and the band completely stole the moment opening with “Thieves,” a track on the new album.
The setlist weaved between old classics of the band, such as “Jackie Onassis,” and every song found in “Something for Everybody.” Every song struck a deeper chord with the audience, ranging from a men’s mental health anthem in “David” to setting boundaries with “State Song.” Guest saxophonist Alex Bone came out to thunderous applause to accompany the band on two songs.
The joy continued as the band made their way through the holistic setlist before slowing things down and bringing out a piano for “I Get it Now,” in which Sammy Rae sings “‘Girl, do you believe in magic?’ Absolutely, yes I do.” This magic could be felt throughout the Hollywood Palladium, as fans swayed to the enchanting lyrics
“I see [magic] not just in my romantic relationships, I see that in my friends and in my fans, everywhere,” Sammy Rae said. “There’s this sense of, we’ve worked really, really hard to create this reality that we want for ourselves, and here it is now, and it’s so special to be able to share that with the world and feel it reciprocated by our audience.”
To the band, the “friends” aren’t just the seven people onstage creating the magic, but the larger expanse of everyone who attends their shows, purchases merchandise or just enjoys their music.
Hannah Rosenbloom was one of many dedicated “friends” in the audience. Rosenbloom had flown down to L.A. after seeing the show in Oregon Sunday, with plans to go to the San Diego show Friday. Thursday night’s show was their fifth Sammy Rae & The Friends concert.
“I never feel better than after I see Sammy Rae & The Friends,” Rosenbloom said. “They just have the best energy and it really just feels like partying and listening to music and experiencing joy with people together and they are so wonderful … I never feel as joyful as when I am feeling their joy.”
After a thunderous applause following a medley of music from their original “Good Life” EP, the band came back out for their encore — “Coming Home Song.” The Palladium came together with the crowd’s divine a cappella of the chorus as Sammy Rae instilled “The Mantra of the Friends” into the ears, minds and hearts of all in attendance.
“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.”
