[DID NOT ATTEND: July 30, 2026] Babe Rainbow / Sam and Louise Sullivan / Sam Blasucci
I know of The Babe Rainbow because Levitation Records (who put out all kinds of cool psychedelic music) released a Levitation Sessions album and I like to check out any band that plays a session with them. They played The Foundry three years ago and I wrote:
Babe Rainbow is from Australia. They do play psychedelic music but it lands squarely on the delicate 60’s folk side of psychedelia. Meaning it’s fun to have on, but I don’t need to see them live. I felt the same way, although listening to more of their stuff, they might be more fun live than I realized.
Sam and Louise Sullivan are a family band. They grew up playing traditional Irish and Old-time music as their parents moved them back and forth across the country between Brooklyn, NY, and Portland, OR, usually driving alongside a Ryder truck. Though they never stopped playing music, Sam and Louise studied literature and visual arts. Louise started her own ceramics business and Sam became a high school literature teacher to pay the bills. Later, Louise joined Sam in Philadelphia and ended up working at the same Quaker prep school as an elementary classroom teacher. Louise is the visionary and the talent, holding Sam accountable, making sure he doesn’t get too corny. Interestingly, they have such a clean, earnest sound that it seems like it should be really corny and yet it isn’t. Louise’s voice is wonderful and at least in this recording, I love the sound of their instruments.
Sam Blasucci is an American singer-songwriter based in California. He’s one of the two members of Mapache, who I also do not know. It sounds like his music is well suited to Babe Rainbow, with reviewers talking about his “easy Beach Boys-sounding pop” and songs with “light percussion, a Caribbean feel, and a smooth groove” as well as “R&B-inspired pop” as well as “electro pop.” Sounds like a very pleasant night. Maybe next time I’ll rethink seeing them.
I Just Read About That... 