(excerpt from a review featuring Nick Shanahan, Friends of Giants, Mark & James and Sara Haze performing at the Orpheum in Tampa, Florida 9/18/09)
by Kate Cillian
Just when I thought I was getting motion sickness from this crazy ride, Sara Haze and her band took the stage. My stomach immediately settled when she sang her first note, so soft and perfect. If you’ve read some of my other articles, you are well aware of my obsession with chicks that rock, and Sara Haze definitely rocks.
The 20-year-old girl artist has the voice of a 27-year-old woman and a maturity level to match. She has had a passion for music and has been singing since she was a little girl, taking vocal lessons from her very own mom! Her new album, My Personal Sky, features songs she wrote when she was 15. It’s hard to believe that someone so young can write such heartfelt lyrics, but Sara says she’s been through a lot.
Song after song my jaw got closer and closer to the floor. Then she played “Lovely” and I almost died. Before she launched into the song, she explained that she wrote it because being in the music industry is tough and label reps always wanted you to look a certain way, and she was just not into that. She loved who she was and refused to change her image for the sake of selling records. I was blown away. This is exactly the kind of artist I support, one that doesn’t sell out. On a side note, “Lovely” was on an episode of the ABC show Ruby.
For the rest of the night, I was in a trance filled with gorgeous paino, chilling violin, and a voice that came straight outta heaven. If you really appreciate good original music, go to iTunes and check out Sara Haze, The Ladder.
