This week, Pittsburgh welcomed Sammy Rae & The Friends and Kaina to Mr. Smalls Theatre for a sold-out stop on their CAMP tour. This tour has been a special one for SR&TF, as they aren’t touring over a new album or anything specific, so they chose to go all-out on a tour theme instead! The excitement from the fans for this show was reflected in ticket sales when it sold out weeks in advance. I was thankful to be considered for a photo pass and the opportunity to share this review, as this was my second time seeing SR&TF (first time was this past June at Bonnaroo!) and I thought I knew what I was walking in to. What I didn’t know was I would be experiencing one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to. More to come there…
Opening for Sammy Rae was Kaina, a pop artist from Chicago, Illinois. To be honest, I was hesitant when she came out and was relatively low-energy, knowing the typical crowd for a Sammy Rae & The Friends show. My initial thought was that the crowd may not like her music after being so pumped up for the headliner. Thankfully, I was wrong! Kaina’s set took the audience on a journey through a diverse range of emotions and musical styles, and was the perfect soft warm up for the crazy that was to follow.
The night began with the hauntingly beautiful “Sweetness,” a slow, cool jam featuring a mesmerizing tenor solo that left the crowd in awe. The chorus was pretty easy to learn with the lyrics “I could give a little sweetness” repeating, but just when you thought you had the song figured out, the key changed – one of my favorite ways to keep a crowd’s attention! Kaina’s lyrics were raw and relatable, and inbetween songs she discussed her feelings with the crowd, saying “I have a lot of feelings to share” and “I cried last night,” resonating deeply with the audience as they nodded in agreement. She took a moment to teach the crowd the lyrics to her instantly catchy song “Good Feeling” and we all had a great time singing along.
The band, consisting of bass, keys, and drums, along with juuuust the right amount of backing tracks, allowed Kaina’s gorgeous lower deep voice to shine through. “Casita” added a Latin flair to the evening with its Spanish lyrics, and Kaina humorously mentioned wanting to sound like the Cheetah Girls. The infectious energy of “Apple,” the most upbeat song of the night, had everyone on their feet. Throughout the performance, the band’s impeccable musicianship left a lasting impression, truly knocking everyone’s socks off.
Kaina was on a short run with Sammy Rae & The Friends that only consisted of a handful of shows, but I’m excited to follow along and see where she ends up next!
Following Kaina’s set was a short changeover to put us all in a camping mood, complete with stagehands dressed as campers to add a charming little touch to the stage. Small details like Pittsburgh being included on the directional sign and microphone stands wrapped in friendship bracelets filled the stage, and the crowd’s enthusiastic “WATER WATER WATER” chant while one of the stagehands passed out water bottles for the performers created an electric atmosphere that had everyone fully engaged and giving their all before the show even began.
After much anticipation, the band (minus Sammy Rae) entered the stage holding small bright lanterns and huge bright smiles on their faces. The lead singer followed shortly behind, playfully covering up her new Pittsburgh Pirates hat so that she could show us in a big reveal. If you know Pittsburgh, you know the crowd went wild for that.
The next two hours were a blur. The friends danced, jumped, and cheered through classics like “Talk It Up” and “Denim Jacket” (where Sammy borrowed a fan’s jacket for her performance), and we got to learn a part to “Coming Home Song” and sing along. As the band introduced “Jackie Onassis”, two fans in the front shared their poster that said “MARRIED MY JACKIE ONASSIS YESTERDAY”, which of course brought the room to tears! The crowd was exceptionally kind and friendly, reflecting the essence of Sammy’s “I wanna be friends with you” ethos. When the crowd playfully booed one of the saxophone players for being from Miami (initially at Sammy’s direction, might I add), Sammy quickly stepped in with a reminder to spread friendship, demonstrating that “The Friends” in the band’s name was no gimmick, but a real life experience that they want us all to take home with us.
I especially enjoyed hearing a new acoustic version of “The Feeling” that was arranged specifically for this tour, featuring C-bass on cajon and the rest of the Friends on various alternate instruments. They played all of the crowd favorites, and the sight of Sammy crowd surfing was the icing on the cake, making it a night to remember. We even took a moment to stop and breathe together, with a seamless transition from soft quiet breaths to “Closer To You” that took our newfound breath right away from us all over again.
To say I’m blown away by this performance is an extreme understatement. From the downbeat to the moment they left the stage, they didn’t have to ask for the crowd’s attention once – they already had us there and begging for more.
To view more photos from the show, click on the album below.
Live from the Pitt 