Sarah Potenza and Katie Kadan performed for the first time since the pandemic on Sunday, May 29th at The Basement East in Nashville, Tennessee, and All Music Magazine was there to capture the magic.
As I was paying for my parking spot, a group of ladies asked if I was there to photograph Sarah Potenza. I replied yes, and they proceeded to tell me that they had driven from Chicago and Colorado. There was also another group of people that drove from Louisiana. I thought that it must be so special for Sarah and Katie to have people willing to drive for hours to come to hear them sing. The ladies asked me if I knew Sarah and Katie. With shame, I had to confess that I was not familiar with their music. They told me that both Sarah and Katie have been contestants on the popular TV show “The Voice”. Sara made it to the top 20 of season 8 and Katie was the 3rd finalist of season 17. I only discovered Sarah Potenza while looking on the web for gigs to cover. When I saw the flyer of Sarah and Katie’s show at the Basement East, there was something magnetic about those women who I knew nothing about but my soul recognized them and I knew I had to be there.
This was a socially distanced sold-out double show. One at 6:00 pm and the second one at 9:00 pm. The show began with a duet performing ” I’m every woman” by Whitney Houston and was followed by Sarah’s ” I work for me”. This song was particularly special for me, as an immigrant woman trying to find my way and live my truth. By the reaction of the crowd, this song is soon to be an anthem of personal liberation. Katie then took the stage for the 4th song of the night and performed “Take me to The River” from her album titled: ” Katie Kadan.” After that song, I was converted to a fan. Her sound is unique yet without trying to put her on a box I felt like she could be the female personification of the one and Only BB King! Something about her just captivated me.
The 6th song was also a duet, a cover of Adele’s “When we were young.” At this point, you could hear a pin drop in the venue, the crowd was in Awe. Sarah told us about how this was the first time since the pandemic that she was back on a stage. She told us about her friendship with Katie and about her Youtube mini-series where you can find a sample of ” When we were young”. If Sarah had not told us, I would have never guessed that this was their first time together on a stage. Their synergy was sublime and the way they talk about each other shows a level of respect, admiration, and true kinship. Another highlight was a song by Sarah, “Simply the Best” dedicated to her husband. The song was performed beautifully and the lyrics brought tears to my eyes. Just a powerful song. The night ended with a blues medley that brought the venue to their feet and into an explosion of applauds, dancing and hugs.
Katie Kadan Live House of Blues Chicago ” Take Me To The River/Stand In Line “
Sarah Potenza – I Work for Me (Live)
Colossal voices, electrifying performers. Sarah Potenza and Katie Kadan are one show you don’t want to miss.
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