Sasami at Baby’s All Right (photo by Kate Hoos)

 

When Sasami comes to town, you can bet on where I’ll be. I had already seen her twice this year (see pics from her show in Philadelphia in March and her show at BRIC in July) and felt fine with that, figuring she’d come back around this way when she released another record. I was resigned to wait, but then I was sent a text message containing the flyer for a headline show she was playing at Baby’s All Right, and I excitedly rushed to my datebook (yes, I keep a handwritten datebook) to make sure I was free that night, because no way was I missing out on the third time to see her this year. Fortunately I was free and I looked forward to the show with great anticipation. (Subsequent to this show being announced, she was also announced as the opener for Wet Leg for their Webster Hall gig to follow a day after this one, a show I was in fact already going to be attending because I was working at the venue that night. Two Sasami shows in two days? And one for a paycheck? Sign me up!)

 

I have heaped plenty of praise on Sasami as a songwriter and performer in my past write-ups of her songs and shows, and all of it is more than well deserved. And I’m writing this after the Webster Hall show, so I have actually now seen her perform four times in one year, twice on a small stage as the headliner and twice on bigger stages as the opener—an opener who frankly stole the show both times. Seriously, absolutely no shade to the other bands who played with her at those shows, they are great songwriters and have catchy, enjoyable music that I listen to quite often (particularly Wet Leg recently). Their shows are very fun, but there is no denying that none of those bands have a live set that comes anywhere near the level or high caliber of performance that Sasami does, end of story.

 

Each experience is great (though I don’t love that her sets are shorter when she opens) because to see her take over a large space and completely fill it is compelling and stirring, seeing a performer reach that far and emanate so much energy to a crowd that may not have even been there to see her in the first place, and then surely very quickly winning them over, cementing their fandom then and there.

 

But while small rooms feel like they can barely contain her, and they won’t much longer, I have to say it is the preferred way to see her. Because those rooms are PACKED with people who came to see her and revel in her power as a performer; those who rush to the front to be close giving back as much as she puts out, singing along to every single word, radiating a massive fucking joy that is incredible and intoxicating to be around.

 

 

For these shows she was again backed by the rock solid trio of musicians who make up the metal band Barishi—Graham Brooks on guitar, Jon Kelley on bass, and Dylan Blake on drums—and the foursome again put on a spellbinding show. (Blake told me after the Webster show the trio should be playing a show of their own at Saint Vitus sometime this year.) They hit many of the songs from her stunning full length, Squeeze (which spoiler alert, is on my soon to be published favorites of 2022 list), with highlights being the hypnotic “Say It,” the demonic “Need It To Work” in all its double kick roll glory and of course her frenzied System of A Down cover.

 

She also debuted a brand new song solo, saying she had just finished writing it that day and thought it would be “fun to make myself nervous” joking afterwards that “sad girl is back” since it is (currently) more subdued than the heavier material on Squeeze and more akin to the work on her 2019 self titled debut. That could change in time if she chooses to continue in the metal/industrial vein or it could be something completely different. I am very much looking forward to whatever she releases next because being such a dynamic songwriter, anything is possible for the direction of one of her songs and every possibility is intriguing.

 

 

Jigsaw Youth, the heavy grunge/metal rockers from Staten Island opened the show and were the perfect band to set the mood for the evening. I have known them since they were teenagers when I booked them for Punk Island 2017 and played a benefit house show with them the same year and it has been awesome to see their growth in that time. They have gotten a lot heavier over the years since those earlier shows and have now fully veered away from the punky riot grrrl vibe that defined that era of their music to embrace big metallic riffs. There is a richness and maturity to their sound now and it really was the perfect counterpoint and kickoff to lead into Sasami’s set, one of the best matched bills sonically I’d seen all year. They played some of their newest material, the just released songs “No Mercy” and “Skin,” also adding in a thick and loud cover of Blur’s infectious and iconic singalong anthem “Song 2” to really get the crowd riled up.

 

These nights came at the very tail end of an absolutely huge year of live music for me. Just when I thought the year was winding down and coming to a close, all the best shows already locked in and behind me, Sasami came back around again to deliver not one, but two knockout punches. A back to back cherry on top of a killer year, much to my delight and the rest of two very thrilled audiences.

 

 

Scroll down for setlist, fan shot video, pics of the show (photos by Kate Hoos)

 

Setlist: The Greatest, Need It to Work, Skin a Rat, Not The Time, Say It, Call Me Home, Sorry Entertainer (Daniel Johnston), New Untitled song, Take Care, Feminine Water Turmoil, Not A Love Song, Toxicity (SOAD cover)

 

Full show video complete with epic and awesome stage banter

 

JIGSAW YOUTH

 

 

SASAMI