Concert Reviews

“Now more than ever I want you to go out there and put a smile on somebody’s face,” sang Samantha Bowers at the end of her show. “I want you to tell somebody that you want to be friends with them.”

Bowers is the front woman of Sammy Rae & The Friends — a classical rock, folk, and funk band from Brooklyn. Her goofy and deeply talented friends are C-Bass Chiriboga (drums), Debbie Tjong (keys), James Quinlan (bass), Will Leet (guitar), Max Zooi (tenor saxophone and synths) and Kellon Reese (alto saxophone). Their message has always been to care for the people around you and love each other and yourself.

Sammy Rae & The Friends brought that joy and vibrance to Roadrunner on Nov. 15 for the first of two shows closing out their Something for Everybody The Album Tour. The debut record promises songs for all types of music listeners with sweeping ballads and disco dance party tracks. 

A soft blue glow turned white as a bright spotlight fell on Bowers. She kicked off the show with “Thieves,” a track about getting exactly what you want. It began with smoky jazz club energy and exploded into powerful rock. 

Bowers’ effortlessly clean, flowing runs were punctuated by soulful growling. She played with her songs all night, finding new harmonies and vocal flips and taking her time against the tempo. 

“Boston oh my god! Damn we’re back at the Roadrunner,” she exclaimed. The band stopped at the venue last September on Camp: The Tour. They set up the stage to look like a forest with leaves wrapped around mic stands and a tent. Bowers even wore a park ranger outfit. 

The band leader felt more grown up this time, while still holding onto her childlike wonder and zest for life. She wore black trousers and a cropped white silky top. Pearls draped down her mic stand, and a small living room setup was positioned off to the side — she often used it to admire her friends as they performed solos. 

Before diving further into their repertoire, Bowers told the audience to be kind to themselves and the people around them. And whatever energy the crowd gave them, the band would give it right back. 

Sammy Rae & The Friends launched into “The Feeling” off of their 2018 EP The Good Life.

“Oh! It ain’t worth it!/ Being hurt by love!/ And is it worth it/ Honey being hurt by love?/ Is it worth it?/ Being hurt, singing lalala-ost in the Feeling now!” Bowers sang, grooving around the stage. She showed off impressive jumps in vocal range as she contemplated if falling in love was worth the pain of potentially losing it. Zooi and Reese had a lively saxophone conversation at center stage, causing Bowers and the audience to shake their heads in admiration. 

“Radical joy is resistance and you are a part of that this evening,” said Bowers, referring to recent election news. The band promised the night would be a safe haven for all people to be themselves and leave any pain and anger at the door. 

Bowers welcomed the Nebulous Quartet from Berklee to the stage for “Jackie Onassis,” my favorite Sammy Rae & The Friends track. I spoke to Bowers last fall, and she told me the song is about women finding strength in their own identities. 

“That song is a love letter to the feminine,” she said. “It is in part about my coming of age and first love, but more than that, it’s just a story about the powerful women around me when I was young, teaching me about the power of my own womanhood and my own femininity and teaching me that there’s no one way to be a woman and you can find power within yourself.”

She compares a queer romance and feminine vigor to former First Lady Jackie Onassis with bursting saxophones and sweeping strings. 

“She carries herself right, she’s singin’/ Oh, ah, woah, ah, woah, ah/ She’s the first lady/ To walk me through the night, I’m singin’/ Oh, ah, woah, ah, woah, ah,” Bowers sings.

A bright rainbow of light swirled around the stage as Bowers indulged in further vocal liberties that were unbelievably free yet controlled. 

Bowers sat at a piano for the stunning ballad “I Get It Now.” The song began with piano soaring to woodwinds and strings in a magical build. The cinematic track wrapped the audience in the fuzzy feeling of all-consuming love. 

The acoustic-driven “David” reflected on male trauma and not being given space to fee,l and “Call Ya Back” utilized non-traditional instruments like water bottles. 

Sammy Rae & The Friends played a mashup of some of their older favorites — “Kick It to Me,” “Talk It Up” and “Good Life.” The crowd jumped and swayed to the energetic tracks.

Bowers reflected on the significance of Boston in the band’s early career. She recalled their first tours when they could only afford to play shows in their hometown and Beantown.

“Boston is that sort of city that feels like home,” she said. “We love you and we’ve loved you since the very beginning.”

Setlist

• Coming Home Song
• The Friends Intro/Thieves
• The Feeling
• We Made It
• Jackie Onassis
• Cool-Doug, at Night
• No Rulebook
• I Get It Now
• David
• Call Ya Back
• Good Time Tavern
• Luck of the Draw
• Kick It to Me/ Talk It Up/ Good Life
• State Song
• Hold the Line (Toto cover)

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