Concert Review: Thee Sacred Souls

Beneath the glimmering moon on the first Friday of October, beloved San Diegan band, “Thee Sacred Souls” kicked off their second night at the Cal Coast Amphitheater to nearly 5,000 fans. As the band celebrated the first anniversary of their album, Got A Story To Tell, thousands of fans came together for a night of romantic, soulful tunes. 

The show began with a crescendo of instruments, including everything from guitar, to keys, to percussion, complete with a powerful brass trio. The band's bassist, Salvador Samano, and drummer, Alejandro Garcia, shined at the center of the harmonious introduction. Then the lights began to glow golden and the crowd cheered as lead vocalist Josh Lane entered the stage, gliding like silk, voice as smooth as butter.

As the band opened with “Love Comes Easy”, from their 2022 self-titled album, the first of many seductive melodies kicked off the night of tenderness. In the heart of SDSU’s campus, a warm aura of stage lights radiated beneath the towering library, but the students and fans from all over San Diego were here tonight dancing their blues away.

The crowd swayed under the moonlight to each song, holding their loved ones as Lane crooned on about love and longing in the most sincere terms. The feeling of the night was love all around. Love between friends, partners, and for all of humanity. About halfway through the band’s nearly two hour set, they took a pause as Lane spoke about the importance of balance between good vibes and the reality of life. 

The crowd cheered in support as he spoke out in support for the immigrants being targeted by ICE in Chicago, Portland, and LA, and the Palestinians facing unimaginable injustices everyday. In Lane’s own words: “[Life] is not just namaste, everything’s good. Life is hard.” He used his platform as an artist, musician, and black man, to share his thoughts with a captivated audience who not only listened, but roared with encouragement.

After this moment of advocacy from Lane, the crowd was electrified. San Diego is known to be a city of political activism, and whether in support or not of his statements, there was no denying their love for his music. This crowd was there to listen to great music and have the grooviest night. 

Amidst the scene of hyped up fans, I spoke with two girls in the audience. Jen, who has loved the band for years, and her friend Kayla, whom she recommended the band to, were both in attendance that night. They both shared an appreciation for Thee Sacred Souls’ energy, and the romantic wistfulness of their songs. They exclaimed how in any moment their music can make you feel deep emotion and longing for love, even on your everyday “hot-girl-walks”. 

These two girls represent only a small fraction of the diversity in the band’s fanbase. From young twenty-something girls in their retro-boho 70s attire, to couples in their 30s-40s in classic millennial core fall fits, to older Latino men in outfits reminiscent of the 50s with their fedoras in full force. Thee Sacred Souls seemed to attract every corner of San Diego, and their message was loud and clear. Come as you are and enjoy your time with the one you love most by your side. 

Beyond the soulful romantics, there is a vivacity to this band that really shines in songs like “Running Away” which they played near the end of the set after the crowd was reinvigorated by Lane’s speech. Don’t get me wrong, the music was all fun and fresh, but this song in particular has a very distinct feeling that is playful and unique from the band’s typical style. Lane even took it upon himself to literally run away from the main stage, all throughout the venue aisles until he reached the tippy top of the nosebleeds, then back down and around. The crowd went wild as he ran, everyone wanting to catch a glimpse of the man with lungs of steel. Luckily for them, he took his time and went onto sing a second song (this one much slower paced) from the house aisles. 

The rest of the show went by in a blur ending with a chill, acoustic version of  “I’m So Glad I Found You, Baby” like a goodbye lullaby to their devoted fans. Then suddenly the crowd was chanting for an encore, which of course we all knew was coming, they still hadn’t played their most famous song. 

The lights only dimmed for a moment after the band left the stage, and maybe two minutes later, they all strutted back out. Each member of the band took up their instruments, Lane let out the first few notes a melody, the crowd seemed to get even louder somehow, and the party continued on. As the moon shone down people hugged each other to each love song, each kind word of wisdom Lane shared, and kept on swaying to the melody of the night. 

Finally, the song everyone was waiting for “Can I Call You Rose?” which went viral on TikTok a few years ago for its nostalgic, romantic feeling, and has brought a new heightened popularity to the band. Everyone was out of their seats singing along to this enchanting new, but classic feeling song, so graciously gifted to us by this band, and the vibes were immaculate. 

Thee Sacred Souls put on a show unlike no other band, with music that proves to be for every type of listener. It’s obvious they love their fans, and they especially love their origin town of San Diego for all its vibrancy and eclectic mix of audience members. The support was nevertheless overwhelming from start to finish and the love to and from every band and audience member was undeniable. 

Special thanks to LiveNation for allowing The Look to cover the show. For more information about the band follow them on Instagram @theesacredsouls

Written by: Victoria Lechón

Photography by: Victoria Lechón