LIVE REVIEW: SARA BAREILLES @ FOX THEATRE, ATLANTA, GA – SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

This may have been one of the most emotionally driven shows of the century. An absolute artistic masterpiece. The whole show is one coherent healing journey incorporating real life stories about loss, mental health, acceptance, and overcoming. The energy in the room follows the theme beginning with everybody connecting to the grief and ending with every single person in the sold out Fox Theatre in Atlanta on their feet dancing. The aesthetics of the stage were mesmerizing with the curtain becoming part of the story and the lights setting the scene for the heartfelt journey. The musicianship was beyond incredible, every member of the band added just what needed to be there to serve the song without showing out. The response of the crowd was phenomenal. The sound was dialed in perfectly in the nearly 100 year old theater. 

The community was directly involved in the show with different voicemails being played in between songs that featured people sharing their grief with the world. This created a direct bridge to Sara’s community letting them show how much her music, art, and messages mean to the world. I love live music because it’s always great to go see story tellers share their passion firsthand. But this was an experience, one that I would recommend to anyone given the opportunity. 

Let’s get to know Sara and the band, because they were all incredible. They each did their part with excellence, adding to the mood and setting the atmosphere for the story to be told. Sara Bareilles led the vocals, she also came out playing a dulcimer, spent a lot of time on a piano, played a few tunes on an acoustic guitar, and even brought out a Wurlitzer electric piano. Sara has won two Grammys, the first in 2020 for the “Best American Roots Performance” with her song “Saint Honesty” from her “Amidst the Chaos” album. The second being from 2023 with the “Best Musical Theater Album” as the principal vocalist for the Broadway cast recording of “Into the Woods”. She has 7 more nominations for some of her other amazing works of art. Sara has three Tony Award nominations for her scoring and performing in “Waitress” and “Into the Woods”, and three Emmy Award nominations for acting. Along with being amazing at singing, writing, scoring, acting, and playing multiple instruments, Bareilles is a philanthropist through and through. 100% of the VIP upgrades on this tour as well as 100% of proceeds from album sales through her official website go to The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

$1 from every ticket sale goes to The Jed Foundation, which focuses on emotional health and suicide prevention in teens and young adults. She also uses her voice to bring awareness to the Pediatric and Healthcare community. The song “Brave” turned into an anthem for encouraging young patients, and means so much to so many, as seen in the photo of the youngest fan I saw in attendance with her sign up high and proud. Sara is also really supportive to the Musical Education community, often performing and donating 100% of proceeds to various campaigns. She is heavily involved in several other community programs. Sara Bareilles is one of those rare artists that is just as passionate about helping others as she is about her art and its was a heartfelt experience seeing her deliver a perfect performance of her new album. 

From left to right we have Rich Hinman on guitar. He played a variety of electric, acoustic, even lap steel guitars. His tone was perfect for the music and his playing is very melodical, making each feature he got a treat. He also has a really nice taste in guitars. Next to Rich was Misty Boyce on the keyboard. She also added background vocals throughout the show. At one point she sat at the main piano while Sara walked around and sang, connecting even more with the crowd. Everything Misty played was perfectly placed and added a nice texture to the music. Her presence was felt in the music. In the middle, rapping and tapping on all kinds of noisemakers, was the incredible Mona Tavakoli. I have had the pleasure of working with Mona several times now, and it is always a good show when she is there.

A couple of fun facts, alongside Jason Mraz, she performed in Antartica to support climate change awareness. She also traveled with Africa as a cultural diplomat using her gift of music to focus on women’s entrepreneurship and empowerment. Mona is a co-founder/co-director of the Rock n’ Roll Camp For Girls Los Angeles, a summer camp that encourages girls to find their voice through music. She brings a special kind of energy with her that radiates positivity and she is without doubt one of the nicest humans on the planet.  Musically, she always knows what to add to the song, and metronomes wish they could be as in the pocket as she is.

Speaking of staying in the pocket, to the right of her we see two time Grammy winning drummer, Derrek Phillips. The man’s consistency is unreal and he made it look effortless. He and Mona made a great pair locking in and creating steady beats for the entire show. Also locked in with Mona and Derrek was Joe Ayoub playing bass. This man was grooving all night. He was so much fun to watch because he looked like he was having just as much of a great time as the crowd was. Joe even brought out an upright bass and it fit the vibe perfectly. Last but not lease, Butterfly Boucher was playing guitar, bass, and singing background vocals. She added a really nice dynamic to the band when and where it needed it. She also joined Mona and Misty while Sara played the Wurlitzer for a song. That was one of my top favorite moments of the night. 

In closing, this show was nothing short of incredible. Every song was intentional and added to the story. The band was phenomenal, the program was put together perfectly, the production was executed with excellence, the sold out crowd was fully engaged. Special mention to Sara’s dog Louie who very much reminded me of the coolest dog that I have ever met named Hercules. And I think he knew that because he even got comfortable and sat on my foot just like Hercules used to. This small gesture showed me that he has earned his place as an honorary member of the band.

Sara Bareilles Photo Gallery

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Setlist

• Wind is the Weather
• Home
• Still Crying
• Just a Kid
• A Love Story
• Hands off my Body/Armor
• Heartland/Saint Honesty
• Ladies in a Line
• Capsize Me/Many the Miles
• Nervous Breakdown
• Idiot Heart
• Gravity
• Forever
• I Wanna Dance With Somebody
• Love Song
• Uncharted
• King of Anything
• Brave
• She Used to be Mine
• Salt Then Sour Then Sweet/Let the Rain

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Live photography by Andrew Agresta Jr. for No Flash Needed. © 2026 No Flash Needed. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without written permission.