Sammy Rae & Sarah Gross Keep it friendly at the Westcott Theater

Sammy Rae singing to the sky towards the beginning of the night.

By Ian Eisenbrand / Photos from Jasmine Rust

Sammy Rae & The Friends own the Westcott Theater for the night of October 17, 2021 along with Syracuse’s own, Sarah Gross.

A long line of alternatively dressed college students (along with a handful of passively supporting parents) built amongst the autumn leaves outside the Westcott Theater on October 17. A slight hue of the day remained when the doors opened to the Sammy Rae & The Friends show at the Westcott Theater on October 17, 2021, but the electricity of the night could already be felt as fans quickly filed into the venue an hour ahead of show’s onset. 

Only minutes following doors opening, the Westcott’s smoky, dimly lit theater began filling up. However, if one knows of the rising star that is Sammy Rae and her collective of whimsical talent, this enthusiasm can’t come as a surprise. With their eccentric style of alternative indie mixed with jazz rock, Sammy Rae & The Friends occupy a unique space in today’s scene, and the popularity of their recent releases proves the group is capitalizing on their moment. Moreover, the band is quickly ascertaining a notoriety for absolutely insane live performances, and their reputation clearly preceding them as the show neared its onset. 

As the fans awaited inside the venue, the air bubbled with excitement, not only in anticipation for Sammy Rae & The Friends, but also for the opener, Sarah Gross. A Syracuse University student herself, Gross built up a fan base over the course of her four years at Syracuse with her recent EPs finding increasing success in what she described as “sad girl folk-country-rock” in an interview with 20 Watts. 

Sarah Gross playing her opening set.

When Sarah Gross walked onto the stage, cheers of familiarity emanated through the crowd as she introduced herself along with her two background vocalists and band. Once the set began, though, it became clear that the crowd’s engagement was by no means caused only by her social ties to the University. 

With a white spotlight shining down over the band in front of a middle school talent show style moon and stars backdrop, Gross made her talent known. The intimate set included highlight performances of “Other Side,” “Arizona,” and “Undertow.” Through the set, the crowd entered the private world of Sarah’s sound with it’s emotionally intimate tones reminiscent of “the brainchild of Kacey Musgraves and Maggie Rogers,” a description prescribed by Gross herself. The set resonated throughout the venue with it’s impressive performances, not only by Gross, but also by the two background singers and band. 

With the end of her set, though, the audience knew The Friendliest Show on Earth was about to begin.

Though Sammy Rae and her gifted collective had never had a show in Syracuse before, their talent clearly found a home on Westcott Street. As soon as Sammy Rae walked onto the stage adorned in her trademark sequins, this time coming in the form of a red overshirt, the crowd erupted. She began the show solo on a Vox Continental keyboard, improvising in sweetly melodic greeting with the audience as each member of The Friends entered the stage. Once the group was in position, electricity hit with the flashings of an elaborate light show, shining all the colors of the rainbow down onto the stage as the band performed various hits, including “Whatever We Feel,” “Denim Jacket,” “Kick it to Me,” and several other tracks.

Sammy Rae’s two Saxophonist’s jamming with one another.

Sammy Rae & The Friends brought an absolutely insane level of energy to the show, with each member offering character-filled solos of saxophones, electric and bass guitars, and drums throughout the show. Sammy Rae, the namesake of the band, defined the show with her brazen confidence, offering textbook lessons in crowd control and performance. Whether it be in her insane conduction over both the audience and her band, her quirky physical presence on the stage, or the ludicrous energy with which she performed every song on the setlist, the talent was at a level at which a rare few ever attain. 

After the final song, the crowd remained in place, continuing to cheer for far past the end of Sammy Rae & The Friends’ complete takeover of the Westcott Theater. With awe ruminating in their conversations, the audience said their farewells to the wonderland of the night.