I come back to the term nostalgia act a lot, but Thee Sacred Souls feels like they do it justice with their energy on stage. Coming into the Roxy on the 15th this month, it felt reminiscent of a dimly lit dance hall, a spinning vinyl record and the final scene of an aged romance film. Yet, in Atlanta’s Coca-Cola Roxy, the California neo-soul trio made that timelessness come to life. Thee Sacred Souls have built their sound around the kind of soul music that saw a revival with acts like Durand Jones or anyone out of Leroi Conway’s camp. Sal Samano’s accents on bass, Alex Garcia’s restrained, concise drumming, and Josh Lane’s unmistakably soft vocals leave plenty of space for such a big backing band and singers. Rather than trying to recreate that 60’s and 70’s analog sound, they have developed a more three-dimensional sound that feels more fleshed out and current.
That was immediately apparent with the opening pairing of “Love Comes Easy” and “Lucid Girl.” The first settled into the room with an effortless swing after a rather orchestral intro, while “Lucid Girl” pushed the rhythm forward without ever losing the band's relaxed sense of control. Lane’s vocals remained remarkably smooth throughout, floating above Samano and Garcia rather than competing with them. Then came “Will I See You Again?”, which felt like the moment when the Roxy fully became Thee Sacred Souls’ room, something I wasn’t ready for in the pit. The familiar guitar introduction was enough to change the atmosphere as fans recognized Thee Sacred Souls hit, with the crowd singing along to a song that has become one of the group’s defining moments. But the vibe fully shifted when Josh Lane jumped into the pit and dashed around the entire barricade singing the verses with the crowd call and response style with his charming delivery.
The set moved comfortably between romance and rhythm. “Easier Said Than Done” leaned into the group's softer side, while “Lady Love” and “Love Is the Way” brought the crowd back into the groove, as I saw couples dancing all over the Roxy. What makes the band’s live show work compared to some more derivative callback acts is that these songs never feel like separate versions of the same idea or A-B-A-B structure. Each has its own pace and personality, even when the instrumentation remains deliberately stripped back and background harmony focused.
The momentum continued into “On My Mind” and “Waiting on the Right Time,” before “Weak for Your Love” and “Running Away” brought the main set toward its most energetic stretch with the performance staying lively through the end of their set. After a brief departure, the trio returned for an encore of “Live for You” and fittingly, “Can I Call You Rose?” to close out the show as fans knew it would be played at some point or another, feeling almost inevitable. The latter is a song so catchy that it brought the room together almost to a choir as the duet style harmonies, with Lane’s voice blending into the crowd rather than sitting above it. Thee Sacred Souls never really needed expansive visuals to make the Roxy feel full, although it nearly was. Their performance was built on the simple, enduring pull and charm in soul music’s delivery. In a genre increasingly obsessed with looking back and freezing iconic moments like What’s Going On or Back Up Train, Thee Sacred Souls prove that sometimes the best way to honor the past is simply make it as interactive and present as possible through stage presence.
Catch them on their remaining tour dates:
- 09/23/26 - Cincinnati, OH - Andrew J Brady Music Center
- 09/25/26 - Madison, WI - The Sylvee
- 09/26/26 - Chicago, IL - Salt Shed
