Sammy Rae & The Friends play the kind of show that makes you remember why live music exists. Horn sections, rock guitar, funk grooves, a vocalist who can drop from a full belt to barely a whisper within a single song — and all of it traveling under a tour called “the GET DOWN!,” which is honest advertising. They hit Buffalo’s Electric City on Sunday, Feb. 28.
About the Show
Born Samantha Bowers, Rae grew up in Connecticut and started writing songs as a teenager, eventually landing in New York City, where she graduated from solo sets at DIY bars and open mics to something different: Sammy Rae & The Friends, built from the start as a creative community rather than a conventional backing band. The result blends rock energy, soul warmth, jazz improvisation, and folk storytelling, with horn sections and dynamic vocal harmonies doing a lot of the organizing. One critic distilled the whole operation as “a big band, a jam band, and a soul revue got together in a Brooklyn loft.” That framing has stuck because it is accurate.
The catalog includes debut EP “The Good Life” (2018), “Let’s Throw a Party!” (2021), and the 2024 single “We Made It” featuring Celisse. Songs like “Talk It Up,” “Jackie Onassis,” and “Boogie Teaser” are the live fixtures, and the band has picked up nominations for Best New Artist and Best Live Performance along the way. The group spent summer 2026 sharing a stage with Alanis Morissette, Caamp, Ziggy Marley, and Trombone Shorty at Levitate Music Festival, then headlined Brooklyn Paramount and MGM Music Hall at Fenway Park in November. “the GET DOWN!” tour runs North America through March 2027 before moving to Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK in April.
The shows operate less as concerts than as gatherings. Rae’s stated mission is to “leave people better than we found them” — spontaneous banter, colorful outfits, and an atmosphere built around the idea that everyone in the room belongs there. It is one of the few touring projects where that kind of language feels earned rather than promotional.
Venue & Logistics
Electric City is on Pearl Street in Buffalo’s Theater District. The venue bills itself as a room with “great sound, strong drinks, and a crowd that shows up for the music,” and takes its name from the city’s history as America’s first electrified city in 1896. Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m.
Tickets
Tickets start at $59. Buy tickets