In 2014, Sara Bareilles took to the stage at Los Angeles’ historic Orpheum Theatre, as she played to a crowd of 1,000 fans for a special Artists Den performance. Singing tracks such as “Chasing the Sun” (which you can watch above), “Hercules,” “King of Anything,” “Gravity,” and her classic hit “Brave,” Bareilles not only provided fans with live renditions of some of their favorite tracks, but she also helped showcase the venue, itself.
In a video segment, which you can watch below, Bareilles discussed how she connects with her fans through music and live shows, explaining, “I love being on stage. I love singing to my audience. It is the most sacred relationship in my life, and I hope that, whatever I end up doing, that that still stays kind of at the centerpiece.”
The singer also broke down working with Jack Antonoff on creating the song “Brave” and the important message behind it. Bareilles revealed that at the time, Antonoff had been in the process of founding an organization about straight voices speaking up for gay rights.
“At the same time, I was watching a very close friend go through some really personal struggles of basically coming out as an adult,” she added. “I would love to send a message of empowerment that in a perfect world we can make it safe for each other to simply be honest, at the end of the day.”
Another video clip takes a closer look at the Orpheum Theatre, which Bareilles called a “beautiful” and “classic” L.A. trademark. “It's an amazing place to see a show and to be on stage…It felt familiar, in a really cool way. This is the kind of place that I hope I get to play for the rest of my life.”
The Orpheum’s owner Steve Needleman also talked through the history of the venue, from when it was built in 1926 to when it served as a vaudeville house in the '50s and was a place to watch silent films to when his family purchased it in 1971 to today.
“For the older generation that attended here when they were kids, they're now in their seventies and eighties and they walk in here and they tear up,” he said. “And the other part is for the younger generation, to walk in here and experience what life was like back in the twenties, and to see what was able to done back then, because you really cannot replicate what is done inside this theater today.”
You can also take a behind-the-scenes look at the concert in another video clip, below.