Singer/songwriter Rachael Sage has spent decades cultivating a career in the arts—and now, she’s bringing her music to St. Louis.
Known for blending Jewish identity with alt-pop storytelling, Sage, a Billboard-charting artist will debut music from her upcoming album “Canopy,” exploring themes of joy, connection and resistance.
The journey to Rachael Sage St. Louis debut
Three years ago, I read an article titled “The Power of Chutzpah” and was introduced to Rachael Sage. The title alone earned my attention, but it was Sage’s story—of Jewish identity, resilience and relentless creativity—that made me a fan.
Now, after years of watching from afar, I finally get to say: she’s coming to St. Louis.
On July 8, the New York-based singer-songwriter will take the stage at Riviera STL in a house concert-style show, as part of her co-headlining “Joy = Resistance Tour” with fellow indie artist Kristen Ford. For Sage, this tour is about community, catharsis and using joy as a form of resistance.
“We want to create a safe, welcoming space for everyone, not just for some,” Sage says. “Anchored in kindness, respect and yes… joy, which is certainly a form of resistance.”
Jewish themes and personal storytelling
Sage’s upcoming album “Canopy”—like much of her work—draws on Jewish symbolism. The title references the chuppah, the wedding canopy, but it’s also about something bigger: creating a sense of safety and belonging. For Sage, the album is about building connection through music—a kind of refuge made of melody, meaning and community.
“There’s so much in Jewish culture that reminds us to come together, to celebrate, even in the face of hardship,” Sage says. “That spirit is all over this record.”
Sage has long blended the spiritual, political and personal in her music. Songs like “93 Maidens,” which tells the story of a Holocaust resistance effort by Jewish girls in Poland, and “Invisible Light,” a gentle ode to the calm of Shabbat, reflect a Jewishness that’s never performative but always present.
“I was raised in a Conservative Jewish household, so things like the High Holidays, Shabbat and certainly the Holocaust are embedded,” she says. “Judaism encourages us to be joyful, to dance and sing and celebrate moments of gratitude even while tragedy is all around us. Needless to say, I’ve never been more honored to be a musician.”
New single, familiar city
The St. Louis stop comes just as Sage releases her newest single, “Just Enough”—a spare, intimate track that explores imperfection, vulnerability and finding peace in the messy middle. The video, which she began shooting the same day this interview took place, promises to lean into that rawness.
This won’t be Sage’s first visit to St. Louis, but it’s the first time she’s performing here in years. “I played there over a decade ago,” she says, “and also attended a very fabulous wedding attended by Richie Havens no less!” She also has cousins in town and plans to explore while she’s here—museums, coffee shops and hopefully some conversations with locals.
“I’m a matcha latté kind of girl,” she adds, laughing.
For a city that hasn’t seen Sage live in years—and for fans who’ve been waiting—it’s safe to say the feeling is mutual.
