Sophia Galaté celebrated her thirtieth birthday with a sold-out show on Saturday, August 26, 2023 at the Sun Rose in West Hollywood.  Galaté performed fifteen tracks to an elegantly dressed crowd.

Galaté didn’t name every song she performed; instead, she shared with the audience her inspiration before each piece.  Her first song was “Love Me.” Once the song concluded, Galaté introduced her live band, Katalyst, and vocalist, Sherren Olivia.  Galaté shared a backstory to “Frank’s Interlude” a song about her ex.  She informed everyone that writing this song helped her recover.  Galaté seamlessly harmonized with her background singer and her grand pianist switched to a keyboard during the set.  Saxophonist, David Otis, soothed the crowd with his solo.  Servers blended in the shadows, delivering drinks to tabled guests while other attendees assembled around the venue.  Galaté returned to the mic and as the song wound down, she instructed everyone to say, “Bye, Frank.” 

The interactiveness of Galaté and the collective constructed a congenial vibe, welcoming laughter and gentle dancing.  Although Galaté is a fire sign, the drums and cobalt blue lights showered the crowd with an intimate-rainy-day feeling.  Galaté’s Leo energy warmed the crowd when she shouted out guests’ birthdays, acknowledged her attending mother and shared that an audience member canceled their Beyonce concert in Vegas to attend Galaté’s show.  During the middle of her fourth song, “Intimate Feeling,” she asked the group, “Are you ready?” She turned the microphone, queuing everyone to sing, Baby, I don’t like you.  

Before beginning a new song, “No Saving,” Galaté took a moment to spiel the consequences of harming people in interpersonal relationships, recognizing fault and concluding that only you can solve your problems.  The saxophonist returned.  The sequencing of the chorus sung by the background vocalist, Sherren Olivia, including the saxophonist’s nuances, cohesively leveled the set.  

The lights behind Galaté descended into one hot pink light accompanied by four spotlights steered by a stripped-down cover of “Killing Me Softly,” dedicated to the singer’s mother. Galaté then performed a brilliant, unreleased song from her B-side where corresponding keys and notes mimicked each other, ocean vibes were current in the song’s reggae undertone.  The crowd was fully present; as proof, phones were hidden.  Galaté covered Janet Jackson’s “Any Time, Any Place” and performed her latest single “Options,” substantiating a paragon of craft and R&B. 

Galate performed her ninth piece, “Should I Tell You.”  She told the audience that the lyrics revealed details of a relationship that dried up.  Feelings of confusion and sadness led her to reach out and provide feedback to her ex for recuperation. Galate played the piano and sang “Hey baby” with impeccable jazz ad-libs.   

Galate’s trained voice delivered an astounding vocal range.  Her tenth song, “Chicago,” told a story about her friend Grace, whom she visited in Chicago every summer for two weeks.  She admitted to “getting lit” at fourteen, expressed her fondness for Chicago and the bandmates native to Chi-town.  She duetted “Chicago” with guest vocalist JeRonelle, enchanting the crowd with her vibrato and his portamento.  The accordion synthesizer complemented the saxophone.  Galaté charmed spectators when she left the stage to have an audience member hand her lipstick as JeRonelle moved attendees to tears with a soulful solo.  When Galaté returned to the stage, she sang a D’Angelo cover. 

She completed her concert with “Body,” reminding fans of their greatness and sharing her self-love journey.  Sophia Galaté received a standing ovation and a birthday cake at the end of her show.  She warmly invited everyone to linger, offered conversation and hugged concert-goers.  The concert majestically cultivated a communal setting, prompting new connections and offering a space to express emotions.

Galaté’s storytelling invited listeners to the sentimentality of maturation and her decadent voice softened the room’s corners, the pastiche of genre thoroughly entertained.  The intentional compositional lighting, primarily cobalt blue, orange, pink and purple, successfully impacted the mood.