Sarah Bettens: Live at Eddie's Attic (2/23/2007)

With her lean, blonde good looks, Sarah Bettens looks like a rock star, sings like a cabaret singer and has a warm glow about her. The former lead singer with the band K’s Choice has garnered a whole new set of fans as a solo artist. The tall, tattooed Sarah reminds some of her pal Amy Ray. Her latest release and her first as a solo artist, Scream, is also Bettens’ first album since moving into a relationship with a woman (Bettens was married to the tour manager of K's Choice). There were some troubled songs on the album, but Bettens’ assures, “It's all good,” with her new love.

The audience hung on every song, frequently applauding loudly, especially when Bettens performed a K's Choice hit like, "Not An Addict," but her newer songs were also well received. Performed from Scream were "Stay," "Come Over Here" and "Not Insane." It is clear that Bettens is more than just a girl with a guitar. "I love the way her voice catches, it’s so sexy... like a teenage boy... the cackle of emotion… shades of KD Lang,” observed one fan. Bettens’ inner cabaret singer is emerging more strongly since her last show in Atlanta, and she highlighted her vocal instrument by singing several covers without her guitar, "Cry Me a River," "Just the Two of Us," and "Mad Dogs and Englishmen."

Bettens picked up the bass guitar for "Come Over Here" with its "Na na na na na na na na" chorus and did well. “This is a new song about a bad relationship I had before this when I thought I was straight,” Sarah announced. The lyrics included: “You don’t believe in me. I let you make me feel alone. You never rest your eyes on me. I was never crazy about the girl you made me be.” Sarah’s accompanist Tom Kersting provided backing guitar, keyboard, and harmony vocals. They make a great team. After the show Sarah's fans formed a very long line to get her albums.

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