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Sarah Gross has been a fan of Sammy Rae & The Friends since her freshman year at Syracuse University. She has covered their songs at past gigs and arranged songs from the band for her a cappella group Main Squeeze — but this weekend she will be opening for the band.

“She is such a big inspiration and musical influence for me, so getting to open for her in addition to getting to watch her perform is surreal,” Gross said.

Sammy Rae & The Friends are scheduled to perform at the Westcott Theater on Sunday, as the band tours for its latest EP “Let’s Throw a Party.” Gross, the opener and an SU senior, will accompany the band. The band’s EP is more than just the title, but a mantra for the band’s live shows, Sammy Rae said in an email.

Since the pandemic, when many musicians wrote music to help cope with the changing environment, Sammy Rae & The Friends did not want to drop an EP that would keep people in that dark place, Rae said.

“My hope is that ‘LTAP’ gives our audience a reason to dance and celebrate what’s ahead. The song ‘Let’s Throw a Party!’ itself is about laughing at and facing time, chaos and aging with grace and humility,” Rae said.

Although the group is generally categorized as alternative, its songs pay homage to the indie, R&B and soul genres. Rae said it can be difficult to pick just one genre since the band is composed of people from different musical backgrounds, so it’s easier to mix them all together than to try to work around it.

“What I think is most cohesive about the band’s sound is that the only consistency is my voice and the instruments you hear every time, but we enjoy when we’re all playing what we play best, as hard as we can, all in the same room,” Rae said.

The full band features eight pieces: two instruments in a rhythm section, two instruments in a horn section, keyboards and two backup singers, all led by Rae, the bandleader and singer-songwriter. During the pandemic, the band grew in popularity, Rae said. Fan engagement increased, with the band now having over 57K followers on Instagram.

Sammy Rae & The Friends bring a lot of energy and movement to the stage during its performances, with band members wearing colorful, glittery outfits. Before the vibrant outfits and non-stop dancing at the performances, the arrangements come together gradually, Rae said. She knew she wanted the band’s shows to be dynamic and visually compelling.

Rae has a theater background and is excited for audience members who share that background to experience a dynamic Sammy Rae & The Friends show now that the group is touring.

“My hope is that what they experience at a live show is in part a play about joy, a powerful musical experience, a mixer for like-minded people in every city, a safe space to express emotions from the crowd and a church of rock and roll,” Rae said.

Gross will be releasing an EP called “The Riversides” on Friday, a follow-up to her debut album “Songs from the Passenger Seat.” Since the EP is coming out that same weekend, Gross said the audience can expect to hear all of the new songs as well as some unreleased ones.

With a buzz on campus surrounding Gross’ EP release, many SU students are very excited to see what is next for her.

“I am super excited to hear her new EP performed live for the first time this weekend,” Maya Abrams, an SU graduate student, said. “Having worked with her in the past, she is just as great a person as she is a musician.”

Gross is looking forward to performing, as spending the past two years music directing for Main Squeeze helped her find her own direction when it comes to her music, she said.

“It’s all about creative decisions and making sure that you are creating a welcoming and inclusive space for those you make music with,” Gross said.

Published on October 12, 2021 at 9:42 pm