Photos by Andy Argyrakis

Career-wise, Sara Bareilles is soaring, carefully juggling the worlds of pop superstardom, writing blockbusters for Broadway and acting in between, though on solo project number seven in as many years away, is baring her soul like never before.

“Good Grief” comes in the wake of losing two close friends, on top of going through a miscarriage and difficult course of fertility treatments, yet even in life’s most painful disappointments, manages to find at least a sliver of hope and growth.

Perhaps that’s why when she and a six-piece band came to the iconic Chicago Theatre, just upgraded with a phenomenal state-of-the-art sound system, the multi-platinum singer/songwriter performed inside the frame of a gigantic house-like set piece, symbolically suggesting it would be a completely open, honest and heartfelt couple of hours.

On the second of two shows, whether it was via the lyrics or candid conversations, Bareilles provided a sense of self-help and catharsis for not only herself, but a sold out crowd of varying ages surely navigating a wide-range of emotions.

After opening on the ukulele for “Home,” the sole headliner spoke of setting up a hotline for listeners to leave messages surrounding their experiences, some of which were played back on various occasions, then switched to strictly vocals during “Still Crying” and piano to play “Just A Kid,” dedicated to late former manager/bestie Chad Joseph on what would’ve been his birthday.

Nearly the entire current collection was on display, including the gripping narratives “Hands Off My Body,” “Capsize Me,” “Nervous Breakdown,” and much later as a resolution of sorts, “Salt Than Sour Then Sweet.”

In between, there were several previous causes for celebration, such as the modern classics “Gravity,” “Love Song” and “King Of Anything,” alongside Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me).”

“Brave,” inspired by the LGBTQ+ community, went out to anyone needing to reach inside themselves to find strength, while the “Waitress” anthem “She Used To Be Mine” expanded upon the theme of tapping into slipping dreams and “Let It Rain” served as the concluding rallying cry for personal change in another empowering manner that could only be described as Sara Bareilles.

For additional information on Sara Bareilles, visit SaraBMusic.com.

For a list of upcoming Live Nation concerts, visit LiveNation.com.

Upcoming shows at the Chicago Theatre include Bill Burr (Sept. 30, Oct. 2-3); Souvenirs: 80 Years Of John Prine (Oct. 8); Jerry Seinfeld (Oct. 9-10); Robert Plant with Saving Grace And Suzi Dian (Oct. 15); Brad Williams (Oct. 16); Ben Schwartz & Friends (Oct. 17); Tedeschi Trucks Band (Oct. 23-24, 26-27); Brett Goldstein (Oct. 25); Father Mike Schmitz (Oct. 28); Xscape (Oct. 29); Don Lemon & DL Hughley (Oct. 30) and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” Original Cast Spooktacular! (Oct. 31). For additional details, visit TheChicagoTheatre.com.

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