Sarah and the Stanleys

The Brooklyn-based, soulstress-fronted ‘Sarah Fullen & the Stanleys,’ is kicking it up a notch. “I want to give people music they can feel, music that makes them move and smile.” With Evan Gregory leading the charge ..s, the Stanleys stir up rich soul, r&b, and motown inspired arrangements to Sarah’s romantic, often innocent lyrics. What you witness on stage is a group of people who love what they’re doing. And audiences love watching them.In the past year, Fullen has played over 100 shows and has been described by her adoring fans as "heartbreaking ... her sound is soaring, powerful, and soulful."In the summer of 2007, Sarah was asked by The Gregory Brothers, to join them for a three month tour. At the time, she was a blossoming Austin singer-songwriter, but when given the chance to play night after night in front of crowd after crowd, Fullen quickly lost her endearing beginner's shyness and just started wailing. Hard. Fullen transformed into the kind of jaw-dropping musician that audiences can hardly believe they’re hearing in person. As she discovered the soul sound that was inside of her, she built a repertoire of tell-it-like-it-is knock-em-sock-ems, leaving her smaller ballads on the curb. Now based in Brooklyn, Fullen and Gregory put together a 7-piece band to fully realize the vision. The Stanleys (Evan Gregory, Alex Foot, Doug Hulin, Spencer Cohen, Justin Keller, Eli Asher and Andrew Gregory) are solid musicians, well-seasoned from an array of side projects. These good-looking Stanleys frame Fullen on every side of the stage, but their presence hardly overwhelms her. It simply highlights her unapologetic femininity. Their chemistry is catching.They regularly play their favorite venues throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan, and their audience follows them everywhere. A recent Sarah & the Stanleys show at the Rockwood Music Hall was filled to the brim with people inching in to listen, despite the fact that the AC had blown out on the 80 degree night. Some might say those are dedicated fans. But they’re just fans with common sense. This group's audience wants to see them from the start. They’re moving fast, and soon people will be able to say, “I saw Sarah Fullen & the Stanleys when they were still playing 80-person rooms with no AC!”