Sara Petite
Live at The Kitchen Garden Café,
Birmingham, UK
13/07/2023
This San Diego based rockin’ and genre hoppin’ Country Singer Songwriter grabbed my attention after reading a glowing Rocking Magpie review of her latest album The Empress, describing her as having “more twang in her little finger than a pickup truck full of cowboy hatted Texans”.
What’s not to love?
My first listen made me just want to pull on cowboy boots and hop on a plane Stateside to join in her feisty party!
As luck would have it, she’s brought all the fun to us with a bunch of UK gigs and even better, one of her final dates being at the cosiest, friendliest pit stop in Brummie town, The Kitchen Garden Café.
I’ve only been here once before but instantly felt at home: an A list Roots venue that’s ‘up close and personal’ personified.
I live two and a half hours drive away, but hey if we were in America that would be classed as round the corner so I hot foot it down the highway.
Strolling into the chilled, twinkly gig room I found an intimate set up. A perfectly keen audience created an atmosphere of anticipation so that when surprise support act, Savannah Gardner takes to the stage, it was to an enthusiastic reception.
Embodying cool Country Americana, complete with black Stetson, it’s the broadest of smiles that hits us first as she enthusiastically conveys excitement to be opening for Sara Petite.
Savannah launched into a swinging strum opener, City Of Cowboys asserting her sassy empowerment singing ‘my dreams came long before you’.
Next, we were in for a revelation as her parents plus dog walk into the room, a joke is made and we realise there is an interesting backstory: although born and raised in the US, Savanna’s parents are English and they all live in the UK now, making for a unique perspective to her songs, which are musically brimming with Rootsy inspiration drawn from her time hanging out in Nashville, Memphis, New Orleans and North Carolina.
Her short set shines bright: my favourite track Outlaws tells us to march to our own drum beat and talking of beats, Tomorrow saw her strongest vocal performance and the whole audience clapping her rhythm. She quickly and clearly won over the room.
With a debut album out in October, I’m sure we’ll be hearing a lot more of Ms Gardner.
After a swift break, Sara Petite took to the stage with her band.
A relaxed natural born performer, her endearing, humorous personality beamed out from her introduction right through to goodbyes.
I glanced round to count the smiles but swiftly run out of fingers. Sara launched into Feeling Like An Angel, a track from her 2021 album Rare Bird, which expertly set the tone for the evening: the guitar of Joe Coombs Twanging out, resonating round the room towards the deep end, providing the perfect backdrop for Sara’s fiery, riotous Country vocals, brimming with grit, passion and warmth.
It was met with resounding applause which quickly turned to laughter as there is much amusement over a stage lamp’s light bouncing off the guitar and this inspired a sun tan joke.
How appropriate as I was already thinking that Sara Petite is sunshine personified on stage!
The second song, Lead The Parade, was the title track from a 2008 album, dramatically re-invented for The Empress and tonight it introduced the blistering double bass talents of Scott Warman.
Along with drummer Jamie Dawson, it was evident this early on in the set, that these three musicians are a tight trio who have bonded with Ms Petite’s own brand of Country, the ensuing banter between all four was infectious.
This song was inspired by Sara’s Grandma, who was involved with real parade floats back in the day, and (along with Tiger Mountain) showed us how much her ‘dysfunctional family’ really means to her.
This artist is a pure tonic: the stories keep comin’ and we are given an entertaining introduction to the more traditional Country Bluegrass hoot of Bringing Down The Neighbourhood.
She describes the antics of her family and friends whilst making the video (well worth a watch, I won’t give it away!), declaring ‘It’s fun to be silly!’ No-one in the room is disputing this as I look round again, this really is a gig like no other.
The quality of the songs was the common thread, some favourite moments of the night were when Sara Petite softened the mood with her emotionally charged songs.
Believe you me, she can flip that switch between laughter and heartache in a heartbeat.
Her voice seems rawer, huskier, all adding a layer of vulnerability making the live performances of these slower songs so memorable.
Tread Softly was a gentle anthemic lover’s burning confessional fears of intimacy, The Mistress, a tragically tender tale of losing your partner to drink, both beautifully delivered….. but Sara’s version tonight of Scars was explosive: delicate guitar picking outlining the traces left behind after years of hurting, but then the song erupted with Joe delivering a roof raising guitar solo that sumptuously reinforced this singer’s final triumph:
‘They say it’s all about the journey
So I’ve learned to live with me.’
The evening joyfully progresses with more stories including her love for Gin and describing how Tom Petty appeared in a dream to inspire It’s Good To Be Me.
Sara even joked that when she turns 50 she’s gonna become a comedian, and from what I’ve seen tonight she can achieve absolutely anything she puts her mind to!
Which brings me to the absolute highlight of the evening: the energising, uplifting and dramatic delivery of the title anarchic rocking track The Empress.
All wrapped up with a sincere message celebrating strong female role models through the ages, Sara explained her inspiration was based on the hope for the spirit of women to be given equal importance to masculine energy for balance in the world.
It’s off the scale, as has been the whole evening: go check out the album, if you haven’t already … and trust me, it’ll be well worth the wait to catch this artist live when she next makes a return trip.
Grab some of Sara Petite’s Californian sunshine for yourself.
I guarantee you’ll feel the benefit. I do.
Review by Anita Joyce
https://www.sarapetite.com/
The Rocking Magpie 