Sarah Blacker will treat you like an old friend before a show and stop you dead in your tracks once she starts to sing. Her songs are mature with sharp, eloquent lyrics that are easy to relate to and a seemingly endless ability to capture audiences of all kinds with her unique and aesthetic sound. Though just the size of a woodland fairy, (as her logo illustrates) her instrumental skills on the guitar, mandolin, piano and djembe (and a current student of the ukulele) are enough to make any fellow male peers weak in the knees, (and equally as impressed) with a sound much bigger than her size.
Recent winner of the Radio 92.9/ Boch Subaru contest as judged by thousands of listeners, and finally Ernie Boch Jr. himself, Sarah Blacker is the current voice and face of the New England Subaru, “Ooh, ooh it’s love,” TV and radio ad campaign. Bob McKillop head of Mainfolkmusic.com states, “Sarah Blacker’s voice is sweet, clear, sharp, and precise, supple, happy, and full of mischief. She sounds like a street-savy urban vocal busker with world-class voice training.” SevenDays VT says, “Sarah Blacker is an old soul in a modern woman’s body. “ She has also been named, “the perfect blend of Ella Fitzgerald and Joni Mitchell,” and a ‘River Rising Star’ by Boston’s Independent Radio, 92.5 the River. Candy O’Terry of Magic 106.7 calls her “an artist our listeners should know about,” while many local and national DJs (Cat Wilson of WCIB Hyannis, Carmelita of WAAF Boston, and Brad Savage of WCNR Charlottesville, VA to name just three) have also taken a shining to Blacker and regularly promote her record and her busy touring schedule. Barbara Dacey of WMVY, Martha’s Vineyard also chose her newest record’s single, ‘I Should Speak‘ as number 2 on the station’s ‘Best of Unchartered Waters’ charts.
Blacker is also a prolific songwriter with more than 400 songs to her credit. Her debut release, ‘The Only Way Out is Through,’ released October, 2009, co-produced by Rob Loyot [Girls Guns and Glory, Entrain] and Sean McLaughlin of 37′ Productions [Metallica, Vary Lumar, Lannen Fall] presented 11 of these songs in a breathtaking, captivating way. This record, Blacker’s quirky songwriting and extremely unique vocals, have made it easy for Sarah Blacker to perk the ears of radio DJs nationally, who have been eager to add her release to their playlists, and invite her to perform live in their studios. (She has since visited WMJX, WCIB, WMVY, WAAF, WNCW, WMPG, WNCR to name just a few)
Sarah Blacker is a full-time Music Therapist turned full-time touring singers/songwriter. She has been scanning the coast-line, performing (both solo and with her band All Kinds of Sugar consisting of Chuck Fisher on lead guitar, Sean McLaughlin on bass, and various other special guests) from Burlington, VT all the way down to Macon, GA and to Texas for SXSW in March, 2010. When in town, she does run private and group music Therapy sessions out of her private studio in Dedham, MA, as well as in different school settings specializing in working with children with Autism and Cerebral Palsy. She was presented by an award for fundraising efforts and commitment to helping individuals with Autism, by AFAM [Advocates for Autism of Massachusetts] and has even facilitated Music Therapy groups at Doug Flutie sponsored events. Most recently, she has become an Embassador for local auto-giant and music supporter, Ernie Boch Jr.’s company, Music Drives Us.
Ending in May 2009, with perfect timing to promote her new record, was her career as the full-time pediatric Music Therapist at Boston Medical Center, due to the hospital’s financial state of emergency. It is since then that she’s been following her humble dream, and watching the stars align in her favor.
Since a very successful local CD Release Party to over 300 Blacker fans at the Hard Rock Cafe, Boston in October 2009, A 7-City CD Release Tour, and four impressive 2-3 week southern tours, based on the positive response of her growing audiences, press and radio, Blacker has had a very successful year. She even released an electronic dance track titled, ‘Am Alive,’ which she co-wrote with Egyptian DJ’s Shiha, and Nii. This song was signed to Frisky and Armada records, and picked up by the Grammy-nominated DJ, Martin Roth,who chose to remix the song for his latest release as the CD’s single. The song has been eating up the electronic charts since, and Blacker hopes to work on this side of the music industry again in the future!
Blacker is currently touring along the east coast, working part-time as a Music Thearpist and tucked away in 37′ Productions Recording studio, nearing completion of her second album, with the working title, ‘Come What May,’ which is slated for release late this fall. She recently succesfully funded this project using the promotional fundraising tool, Kickstarter.com. Blacker is also putting plans in place for CD Release touring the country with her black lab, Beasley come spring.
Blacker has supported such great acts as the Grateful Dead’s Vince Welnick, Liam Finn, Laura Veirs, Greg Hawkes of the Cars, Jason Isbell formerly of the Drive By Truckers, Carbon Leaf, Meg Hutchinson, Will Dailey, Paddy Casey and more.
Notable Appearances, Accomplishments
Sarah has performed live on the following stations:
Boston- 92.5 the River, Magic 106.7, WERS, WAAF, WATD Marshfield, WCIB and WKKL Cape Cod, WVVY and WMVY Martha’s Vineyard, WMFO Medford
NC- WNCW Spindale, 98.1 the River, Asheville
VA- WRRW Williamsburg, WCNR Charlottesville
WMPG Portland, ME, WSCA Portsmouth, NH
live on Better CT TV, Channel 9 Wellesley and Framingham, MA
live on SCAT TV Somerville
Some notable venues…
the Hynes Convention Center for ‘Down to Earth Fest,’ & ‘CollegeFest’
Gillette Stadium’s Patriot Place
Club Passim, The Lizard Lounge & Middle East Downstairs, Cambridge, MA and the Paradise Rock Club, and Hard Rock Cafe, Boston
Dedham Music Fest, Dedham, MA
Best Buy, the Rockwood Music Hall, and the Livingroom NYC
the Granada Theater, Lawrence, KS
One Longfellow Square, Portland, ME
the Fairfield Theater Company, Fairfield, CT
the Vineyard Playhouse, Martha’s Vineyard, MA
Nectar’s, Burlington, VT
the Tin Angel and World Cafe Live, Philadelphia
the Stone Church Newmarket, NH
My Rural Radio Fall Festival, Stewartstown, PA
Live Music Week 88.9 WERS
and many, many more!
Visit the ‘Music’ Page to see which stations spin SB’s record, ‘The Only Way Out is Through’
She has shared the stage with:
Vince Welnick, Grateful Dead keyboardist
Sara Bareilles
Paddy Casey
Marc Broussard
Laura Veirs
Liam Finn
Jason Isbell of the Drive By Truckers
Carbon Leaf
Apollo Sunshine
Michelle Malone of Lillith Fair
Greg Hawkes of the Cars
Big Leg Emma
and many more…
