LIVE REVIEW: SAMMY RAE & THE FRIENDS – THE GET DOWN! TOUR @ THE EASTERN, ATLANTA, GA – OCTOBER 30, 2026

Fans gathered at The Eastern for a night of funk, feel-good tunes, high energy, and positivity. Dressed to the nines, attendees embraced both 70s-inspired attire to match the headliners’ retro aesthetic as well as creative Halloween costumes, with the show landing on the Friday of Halloweekend. Sammy Rae & The Friends brought the house down with high kicks, saxophone solos, pitch-perfect vocal runs, and a bit of activism that kept the crowd engaged and grooving the entire night.

The evening kicked off with Melt, whose blend of soul indie rock proved to be a great primer for the headliner yet to come. While their set had chill vibes, they also knew precisely when to bring the energy up. The band took moments throughout their performance to spotlight different things, at one point displaying a large QR code to stay in touch with band and shouting out their “Melt ICE” hats at the merch table, which were created in collaboration with a partner in Mexico City, with proceeds donated to support the New York Immigration Coalition’s Emergency Justice Fund. Their set was packed with crowd-pleasers, with the room singing loudly along to “Sour Candy” followed by a cover of “Teenage Dirtbag.” They closed out their performance with high energy and a direct message encouraging the audience to get out and vote.

The lights dimmed and fog enveloped the stage when it was time for Sammy Rae & The Friends. The band started slow and smooth before kicking into gear, literally, as Rae launched a high kick right on the beat drop while the lights flared on, illuminating the moody stage to kick off the set with “Denim Jacket.” Rae then took a moment to set the ground rules for the evening, asking the audience to take the time and space they needed, be kind, and offer up all their energy before launching into “Follow Me Like the Moon.” Many songs were expanded with lengthy jam passages and amazing instrumental sections. Their next song featured a mashup between “You Just Wanna Get With My Friend” and “Just a Friend,” with sections and transitions almost like distinct classical movements. During that performance, a fan wearing a “Kevin” sash was brought onstage to dance with Rae as a reference to the line “‘Cause you’re dancing with Kevin.” There was also a part where drummer C-Bass Chiriboga sang as well.

The stage was full of exceptionally talented musicians who navigated shifting styles, effortlessly pivoting from pop and jazz grooves to heavy-hitting funk. They performed the upbeat “Sleep on My Couch,” which Rae introduced as a tribute to the friends who always have your back. “Lovin’ You” offered a slower, sultry vibe that ended with a saxophone solo. “Closer To You” took on a punchier rock edge with an almost dark undertone (in the best possible way). Rae then introduced an unreleased track that has only been played a handful of times on tour, titled “Kissing in The West Village,” after explaining the West Village’s queer history and cheekily quipping that every corner without a queer bar has a “shitty comedy club,” a nod that played directly into the song’s lyrics.

Rae took a brief pause to highlight the band’s non-profit partners, specifically HeadCount, who has accompanied them every night of the tour to help register voters, alongside a rotating list of charities that received 100% of the proceeds from a featured merch item. For the Atlanta stop, every penny from the tour poster went directly to the Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health. Rae also explained that while most of the band’s catalog leans into “feel-good, hopecore rock and roll,” she also wanted to cultivate a shared space where people could feel frustrated together about the state of the world and the toxic patriarchy governing it. She then launched into her self-proclaimed “favorite protest song ever written,” Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs,” which transitioned smoothly into their own song, “Flesh & Bone.” Continuing the themes of protest and resistance, they brought Melt back out on a deep cut cover of Climax Blues Band’s “Rich Man,” a track addressing how the lust for money drives senseless conflict, carrying even more weight today than when it was penned in 1972. Rae, Melt vocalist Veronica Stewart-Frommer, and The Friends’ keyboardist/guitarist Debbie Tjong harmonized beautifully, and there was a big saxophone solo at the track’s center.

The next song served as a celebration of the strength and beauty of women, with Rae also giving a birthday shoutout to her mother before performing “Jackie Onassis.” Recognizing the high energy in the room, Rae paused to ground the crowd, guiding everyone through three long, deep, collective breaths before shifting the ambient music behind her into “Good Life.” The song featured solos for each band member and concluded with an insane vocal run from Rae. After taking a moment to point out some of the Halloween costumes visible in the balcony, the band launched into “Boogie All By Yourself,” featuring a crowd-participation segment where Rae split the audience in two to sing the chorus. 

A piano was then rolled out onto the stage as the band stepped off, leaving Rae alone for a solo segment. She introduced “The Feeling,” reflecting on writing it eight years ago when she knew nothing about making records, releasing it to under 1,000 streams only to wake up to 27,000. She expressed her deep gratitude that it now has over 20 million streams and this connection with fans has taking the band to nine countries and over 80 cities across the U.S. She then delivered an intimate rendition of “The Feeling,” taking playful moments during the song to poke fun at an unnecessarily difficult vocal run in the song and calling out how frequently online lyrics sites get the words wrong. Debbie Tjong and Will Leet then rejoined her for a special arrangement of “Talk It Up” that was reimagined and recorded at Memphis’ historic Sun Studio to match the vintage gear used by icons like Elvis. By the song’s conclusion, the rest of the band returned to transition back into the full-band version.

Before the final song, Rae informed the room that they wouldn’t be doing a traditional encore, encouraging fans to simply pretend they had walked off and returned. She then introduced “Let’s Throw a Party!” as a celebration of the joy of getting older and wiser. The track engaged fans, swaying their hands in unison, phones tucked away as everyone stayed completely locked in the moment. The band dropped to the floor at one point and later in the song, every member received an individual shoutout by name. Rae closed by sharing the message they’ve delivered at every show for the past eight years: to go out, make someone smile, and make a new friend. The band took their final bow and handed out setlists, with Rae hopping down to personally hand one to a young girl in the front row whom she had praised earlier in the night for her dancing. It was a fantastic evening of feel-good music, jazzy instrumentation, and joyous dancing that left the room satisfied.

Sammy Rae and Friends Photo Gallery

Melt Photo Gallery

Setlist

• Denim Jacket
• Follow Me Like the Moon
• You Just Wanna Get With My Friend / Just a Friend
• Sleep on My Couch
• Lovin’ You
• Closer To You
• Kissing in The West Village
• War Pigs / Flesh & Bone
• Rich Man
• Jackie Onassis
• Good Life
• Boogie All By Yourself
• The Feeling
• Talk It Up – Sun Version
• Let’s Throw a Party!

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Live photography by Anna Daugherty for No Flash Needed. © 2026 No Flash Needed. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without written permission.