Katey Sagal

Katey Sagal / May 24th, 2008 / The Triple Door / Seattle, WA

While leaving Seattle Washington’s The Triple Door on Saturday night (May 24^th), I had the opportunity to speak with several of the people who had attended Katey Sagal’s concert, and I heard comments such as, “She’s really good!” “What a band!” and “What about that drummer!” Although Sagal is often referred to as a pop artist her soulful vocals suggest strong R&B overtones, and she genuinely wowed her audience, many of whom came to see an actress sing, and went away realizing that Sagal is a very good singer/songwriter, who just happens to act.

Sagal was backed by a band consisting of her longtime friend and songwriting collaborator Bob Thiele (archtop acoustic guitar / vocals), bassist Bob Glaub, keyboardist / pianist, Paul Trudeau, drummer Debra Dobkin (also vocals), and the incomparable Gia Ciambotti, who possesses incredibly beautiful vocals. The evening opened with the pop tune, “Life Goes Round,” a song from Sagal’s current CD (room, and a tune that she co-penned with David Ricketts.

It was Sagal’s cover of Stevie Wonder’s, “Heaven Is Ten Zillion Light Years Away,” which served notice of just how talented Sagal and her band really are. With her left hand raised high in the air, the soulful lines, “They say that heaven is ten zillion light years away / And just the pure at heart will walk her righteous streets someday,” flowed from her heart. Who knew that a white woman, who had grown up in Hollywood, could sing this soulfully and with so much passion? As they sang the chorus, Ciambotti, Thiele and Sagal’s three-part harmonies were absolutely breathtaking. As he did so often during the evening, bass player Glaub was fabulous, as he found his groove playing in the pocket.

Several of the songs that Sagal performed were deeply personal, such as her original tune, “Daddy’s Girl,” which she introduced as a song that she wrote about her mom and dad. She followed “Daddy’s Girl,” with, “Wish I Was A Kid,” a pop / R&B crossover song, for which Thiele and Sagal co-wrote the music, and Kurt Sutter penned the lyrics. As the sound wound down Sagal segued into a few lines from her hero, Laura Nyro’s song, “Stoned Soul Picnic.”

Sagal is comfortable talking to her audience, and had it not been for the fear that her stiletto heels would catch in the grating at the front of the stage, she would have been even closer to her fans as she sang. At times, Sagal can be heartwarming, at others times she is candid and mischievous, as she was while recalling that her first big break as an actress came when she was a teenager, serving as an understudy in Seattle. She said, ‘Just hoping that the bitch would get sick.’ In between singing the Bob Dylan songs, “It Takes A Train,” and “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome,” she spoke candidly about working with Dylan earlier in her career. She described him as, ‘a horrible boss, but a great songwriter.’ There were those in the audience who knew Sagal best for her television and film credits, and were surprised to learn that she sang background vocals for a variety of notable songstresses, including, Olivia Newton John, Tanya Tucker, Bette Midler and Etta James.

Ironically, the blues flavored “It Takes A Train,” was one of the songs that demonstrated the evocative vocals which Katey Sagal possesses. While delivering passion-filled phrases she clutched the bottom of her long black dress, while pulling the emotions from deep within. “It Takes A Train,” also gave an opportunity for Paul Trudeau to shine as he slid over to the grand piano bench and served up an awe-inspiring solo. Debra Dobkin who seemed unfazed by her floor tom’s pedestal collapsing earlier in the set (later restored), is a versatile drummer who moved easily from playing softly with mallets, as she did for “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome,” to hand percussion on “Daddy’s Girl,” and laid down heavier beats when the occasion called for it.

For her encore, Sagal performed Sly and the Family Stone’s number one hit (1970), “Everybody Is A Star.” At times Sagal, Ciambotti and Thiele traded bars, sharing the lead vocals, while at other times the three harmonized beautifully. This was a high-energy performance from everyone on stage, as Sagal belted out the lines in superb fashion.

It is a shame that on an evening when Katey Sagal and her fabulous band created a masterful performance on The Triple Door stage, that they found themselves competing with the Memorial Day weekend and the first real taste of summer enjoyed by the Pacific Northwest this year. Let’s hope that The Triple Door extends an invitation for a return engagement, before too much time passes by. Now there are people on the street spreading the word about this fabulous performer.

Reviewed by Joe Montague

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Reviewed May 24th, 2008

Riveting Riffs wishes to thank the management of The Triple Door for making it possible for Riveting Riffs to review this concert