Weekly Special #182b: Rachael Sage – Live at Joe’s Pub on 12.23

Someday, Rachael Sage will make her punk album, a stripped-down collection honoring Joan Jett, one of her heroes. At the moment, though, she’s compelled to make what she calls “cinematic” and “textured” music—expertly crafted piano pop that, however intricate, seems destined for the Top 40. If Sage’s admiration for Jett comes as something of a surprise—her latest album, “Chandelier,” is more along the lines of Vanessa Carlton or Tori Amos—it’s characteristic of her wide-ranging talent and ambition. Another of her idols is Meryl Streep, and in 7th grade, Sage adapted “Sophie’s Choice” for a school theater project. Later, she earned a degree in drama from Stanford University. – read Ken Partridge interview with Rachel here.