Sara Niemietz comes full circle with ‘twentytwenty’

There are times when you might meet a performer who has just got it. Though you might not exactly be able to categorise what 'it' is, but you know they have it. A lot of people reason that nobody can develop it, but instead are born with it. The flair, charisma, the astounding ability to take an audience, no matter the size, and hold them in the palm of their hand, captivating them and becoming the centre of their world for however long the performance lasts. Well some time ago I met a person who could do just this, and now they have released a live album that shows exactly what 'it' is. I'm talking about Sara Niemietz and her new album 'twentytwenty'.

Image Credit: Jeff Xander

Though this album is entirely a part of her solo music, Sara Niemietz's voice extends much further than that. As well as appearing on Broadway in Carol Burnett's 'Hollywood Arms', you may have also seen her in television programme 'Glee', or when Ellen DeGeneres invited Sara to perform on her show in 2011. Niemietz has collaborated with Richard Marx and recorded for B.J. Thomas, and is internationally known for recording and performing with Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox. Her covers with the latter include Outkast's 'Hey Ya!', 'I Will Survive' by Gloria Gaynor, 'Bad Romance' by Lady Gaga and many more, all gaining millions of views on youtube. Her tours with Postmodern Jukebox have sold out venues across the globe.

Sara Niemietz's solo work with guitarist and mentor W.G. Snuffy Walden is a strong body of work, beginning with 2012's 'Push Play EP', then three further EPs entitled 'Christmas Favourites', 'By Request' and 'Fountain And Vine'. The pair have also recorded two studio albums in 2017's 'Travel Light' and 'Get Right', released in 2019. Walden himself is an accomplished musician, recording and performing with band Stray Dog in the 1970's, as well as recording with Free and supporting Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan and Donna Summer. Walden has also produced music for television scores such as 'The West Wing', 'Stephen King's The Stand', 'Roseanne', 'Ellen' and 'The Wonder Years'. Aside from the twentytwenty album, Sara's most recent work comes in the form of 'Sixty Second Sara', a video series where she has produced covers over the course of the Coronavirus pandemic, of which the songs are available to purchase on her bandcamp.

twentytwenty wastes no time with a long introduction, the listener is treated to music from the get-go. The age old 'Smile' is partially credited to Charlie Chaplin, with versions by Nat King Cole and Michael Jackson amongst popular renditions. I saw Sara Niemietz and W.G. Snuffy Walden on the Get Right tour in 2019, about a year before this recording was made, and they too opened that performance with this song. Here, you can hear a pin drop, just like back then.

This goes into 'I Smile', a cover by Kirk Franklin. The former just featured acoustic guitar, while the full band joins for the latter. Walden's runs on his acoustic fretboard sound effortless, and not nearly overdone. Drums are from Martin Diller, who leads a noticeable change in the mood. My own experience of seeing Niemietz didn't include a band, only Walden sharing acoustic guitar with Sara.

Image Credit: Jeff Xander

The next track is immediately different, as Walden switches to a reasonably delayed electric guitar for 'Don't Walk Me Home', from Sara's 'Travel Light' album, and co-written with Jeff Cohen as well as Walden. Drums are light and bass is more prominent from Jonathan Richards, who appeared on that same album.

A click of the sticks and we're into 'Made To Last'. More mellow than the previous track, this comes from Sara's previous album 'Get Right'. Organ from Andrew Kesler fits in well here, demonstrating all the flair that makes the organ still such a worthwhile instrument decades after its peak. Sara herself is on electric guitar. This video is a part of a bigger release, as twentytwenty (which is being reviewed here as an audio release) is also available to buy on DVD.

The soft introduction to 'Monroe' is comforting, originally from the Travel Light album. Monroe is a love song, and part of Sara Niemietz's talent is to be able to convince you this is real, even if it isn't inspired by true events. 'I used to live on the sidelines, always keeping my head down, and speaking low but now I'm craving the limelight ever since you've come around.'

'Let Me Be' is brought in by W.G. Snuffy Walden's bluesy acoustic playing, the audience hanging on for every note. This track from Travel Light has Sara as the sole writer. The blues feeling continues in the lyrics; 'You don't know my story, you don't know my name, you ain't seen my smiling face, you ain't seen my pain.' The band carries this seriousness along with it, with both Richards and Diller laid back. This is my favourite vocal from Sara on twentytwenty so far.

Jonathan Richards takes a bass solo at the beginning of 'The Nearness Of You', a classic that featured as part of Glenn Miller's 'In The Mood' in the 1940's. Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong also recorded a version for their duet album 'Ella and Louis'. Diller switches to brushes, and Snuffy stays on acoustic guitar. After an instrumental break, the modest audience applauds as Sara rejoins the band, her vocal range is incredible, reaching higher notes not so often that it becomes wearing. At the conclusion of this song, Niemietz introduces Jonathan Richards and Snuffy Walden to even more applause.

Walden is back on electric guitar for 'Go With The Flow', an original from Sara's 'Fountain And Vine' EP, released in 2015. This one is more upbeat, perfectly placed in the set to bring the audience back from The Nearness Of You. I love this verse in Go With The Flow; 'Don't mistake me for complacent. I'm no victim of chance. There's a voice that I am chasing, and I'm just learning how to dance.'

Image Credit: Jeff Xander

The feeling stays up with 'All My Love', from Sara's 'Get Right' album. Backing vocals are from Alex Nester and Mollie Weaver, the latter of whom also featured on that album. The band would stay with this record and perform 'Feet Don't Touch The Floor', with Andrew Kesler playing keys sounding like Stevie Wonder's 'Superstition'. I love how the melody follows the vocal line in the guitar and bass lines during the chorus. You really get the feeling the band is enjoying themselves on this track!

The guitar introduction to 'Calling You' is a different mood entirely, with Sara's vocal performance utterly flawless, pulling you in and keeping you hanging on. Written by Bob Telson and included on the 1987 film soundtrack 'Bagdad Café', it was also covered by Celine Dion. I personally recognised this song from the beautiful cover by Jeff Buckley - I wonder which version inspired Sara Niemietz to cover it?

Back to the Get Right album - 'Hear Me Now' is a co-write between Sara, Snuffy, Jeff Cohen and Tim Niemietz. I like the more forceful rhythm section here, asserting themselves more behind Snuffy and Sara. Kesler's keyboard sound jumps between electric piano and organ, and the backing vocalists bring a more soul element to the performance, not to mention Sara's passionate delivery of her lyrics across the whole thing.

Going further back in Sara's repertoire, 'Out Of Order' is another from her Fountain And Vine EP. The first time I heard this song, it immediately had my attention. The chorus reads - 'Out of order, when you’re not around. Out of order, and I can’t be found, just save it for a rainy day. Save it for a rainy day'. I love how the band climbs together when they sing that last line, a real treat for this audience.

'Shine' is the closing track to Get Right, and brings the pace down in this live performance. The twentytwenty album was recorded over two nights in February at Santa Monica's Apogee Studio in California. Why take basically a whole studio to make a live recording at a venue when you could just bring the audience to the recording studio? A genius idea. Brian Wilson did the same thing when recording his album 'That Lucky Old Sun' live in Capitol Studio A in 2008.

With Sara counting the band in, we go from the closer on Get Right, to the opener in 'Waiting On The Day'. The vocal harmonies are beautiful here, the melody is uplifting. Kesler is on piano, working well with Walden's electric guitar work. The play between Niemietz and Nester/Weaver in a call and response is exactly fit for a song like this. Snuffy introduces Sara with her introducing the rest of the band.

A vocal count-in, and we're in encore territory with 'On Ten'. A sole write from Sara, the opening lyric is a bold statement; 'All I want is everything, tell me, is that too much?' The band are so into this, loving every moment. I even felt that passion when I saw Sara and Snuffy as they oozed it in the tiny lounge of Olympic Studios in 2019. They live and breathe this, unable to imagine doing anything else. The audience are really feeling it, a small but mighty crowd indeed.

The band even come back for a second encore in Ben E. King's classic 'Stand By Me'. The recognisable rhythm lines are absent in favour of acoustic accompaniment, and later piano and soft drums from Martin Diller. Sara's delivery is intimate and breathy - you can't help but smile, exhaling a sigh in contentment. In the final moments of the live performance, Sara invites the audience to sing along, the timidity almost too much to bear but the unity of the audience makes it something beautiful, the perfect way to finish this record.

Image Credit: Jeff Xander

Once the world gets back to some form of normality in the months and years to come, I urge you to witness Sara Niemietz in performance, whether it be with Postmodern Jukebox or her solo material (of course I highly recommend the latter). Her charm and commitment to the audience is what makes her such a special musician, and I'm pleased to say she was available for a Q&A on the subject of this album. Forgive my confusion in question four, I wasn't aware of twentytwenty being available as a visual accompaniment at the time!

1. It's about time you had a live record out! Who's idea was it to have your next album recorded in front of an audience?

Thanks!! This album is something of a “full circle.” My very first album (released in 2003), was Live at the Cat Club, recorded live on the Sunset Strip. Now, after many years, it felt like the right time again. W.G. Snuffy Walden and I have been playing live together for about a decade and we have long wanted to capture the energy and heart of our live shows. 

2. 'twentytwenty' was recorded over two nights during February this year in Santa Monica, what was it like being at Apogee Studio with those audiences?

It was joyful! An awful lot of planning goes into a live event like twentytwenty. Guest lists, tickets, tech riders, pre-orders, coordinating with film crew and engineers…. so much teamwork! It really takes a village, as they say. Until the house lights are lowered, a lot of my mind is in that world. 

When the big moment arrives though, and we step on the stage, it’s nothing but the band and the music. We are transported into another realm. It felt so good to share these tunes with our friends who were in the room, and to celebrate live music! 

3. And what made you choose Santa Monica as the location to record this album?

I’d heard good things about Apogee Studio and their fabulous old Neve board. We went for a tour that fall, fell in love with the place, and decided we had found our location.

4. There were also camera operators at these gigs, does the entire 'twentytwenty' album exist visually too? Can fans expect to see that come out?

It absolutely does! There is a DVD available. I’m really happy with how the end result turned out. Reymundo at RSVP Visuals was great to work with and I learned so much about how a DVD comes together!

5. Your connection with Snuffy Walden is well documented, but how did you come by the services of the other musicians featured on 'twentytwenty'?

I am very grateful to be able to answer: they are all friends of mine. Jonathan Richards (bass) and I have done countless gigs together and he’s been an integral part of our shows for many years. All of these incredible players, I’ve met on the scene in LA on various projects. I feel so lucky to get to work with friends! I watch them shining onstage; I am entranced - a massive fan… then I remember - I KNOW these people!! Wow.

6. Are there some outtakes from this album? Some tracks that didn't quite make it?

There was one tune that didn’t make the final cut and a bunch of very goofy dialogue of mine. It’s all still on hard drives though. Maybe some day it will surface!! Who knows?

7. You've hopped on plenty of stages ever since you were a child, and occasionally with some big names too! What's been the most memorable moment like that?

Wow! Goodness, it’s hard to pick one. I guess I would have to say the Grand Ole Opry with BJ Thomas. Another beautiful turn of events in this story. 

BJ was instrumental (pun intended) in my music career. My parents took me to his concert when I was four and he saw this random kid singing the words to all his songs. He invited said “random kid" up onstage and that was it! I was hooked on a feeling. This was what I wanted to do. While attending another concert several months later, I was very sad to learn this was not “how it works” - I didn’t get to jump up onto all stages. 

BJ and I reconnected over a decade later, and he invited me to sing on his record and join him onstage at the Opry. It was magical. He is a truly generous person, kind spirit, and of course - a wonderful musician!

8. I saw you perform at Olympic Studios during your first solo visit to London in March 2019, what do you remember about your first time in the English capital?

That was such a treat! My first time in England was several years prior, but my main takeaway from that trip was the enthusiasm for music… what a great listening crowd we had. Many of those that came to our London show knew my music beforehand and were there to listen and be a part of the live experience. It’s so rewarding to connect with an audience in such a deep way. Also of course, great meals. Olympic has a really great restaurant and I never forget a meal!!

9. Just one Postmodern Jukebox question. You've worked with them extensively on many covers, but what's been your favourite and why? I guess that's two questions, sorry.

My favorite is also my very first - “This Must Be the Place” by the Talking Heads. Scott’s arrangement is magical and that is one of my favorite songs. I remember showing up, not knowing anyone terribly well, and hoping we’d make something special. There was a wonderful vibe in the room.

10. Of course you've been keeping busy during lockdown, where did the 'Sixty Second Sara' concept come from? Has that project reached its conclusion now?

My tours and almost all of my work was canceled, which left me with…. lots of time.

SSS was my way to stay creative and try to bring some joy to those stuck at home. I learned all about editing, set up a huge green screen in my house, and had so much fun with it. To date, I have released 23 of them! They had to pause a bit as twentytwenty the album took over, but I have a feeling there are more on their way. Wink, wink...

11. Aside from this project, have you been able to write some new songs for a new studio album during lockdown? 

BIG TIME! Quarantine has been fertile ground for me. I’m harvesting and looking forward to sharing more soon.

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Purchase twentytwenty from the Sara Niemietz store, including download, CD, vinyl, and DVD copies, as well as t-shirts and more here.

Check out the Sixty Second Sara project, and purchase her previous albums and EPs on bandcamp.

Follow Sara Niemietz on facebook @saraniemietzmusic, on instagram @sarapalooza, and @saraniemietz on twitter.