She released her fourth full-length album on Friday, has performed on Broadway and at the Radio City Music Hall in New York, and also at the Grand Ole Opry American country music stage in Nashville, Tennessee, but the 30-year-old Saugus resident has never performed in the Santa Clarita Valley — until now.
Singer-songwriter Sara Niemietz is set to step on stage for a special one-night-only performance at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 4, as part of the “Locals Only” music series at The Main Theater in Old Town Newhall. She said that while she’s performed in world-famous, packed venues, she’s particularly giddy to finally make an appearance in her home town.
“I’ve lived here for over 20 years now,” she told The Signal during a phone interview. “But this is my first time playing in Santa Clarita. So, it’s really special to me to get to do that. I play in L.A. a lot and in different cities around the world, but to get to play my first hometown show, I’m almost — not nervous — but I’m almost more excited about that than some huge show in New York or something. This really means a lot to me.”
Niemietz is actually responsible for her family relocating to Saugus from Chicago, back in the year 2000.
“Yeah, I’m from Chicago, originally,” she said. “But I moved to Saugus when I was 8. And I’m still here.”
And while Niemietz has a half brother and a half sister, both are “significantly older,” she said, and were not living with them at the time, so, it was easier for her and her parents to make the move — no sibling fighting on that one.
“I love music and I just love all things creative,” she said. “And there were these acting and singing classes in Chicago that I was signed up for as a kid, and they culminated in a showcase where you would go to L.A. and, you know, sing songs and do the monologues. And there were managers and that kind of stuff there. So, the showcase went well, I got a manager, and we decided to move to L.A. for more opportunities.”
Niemietz said her dad was able to relocate easily because of the type of work he was doing at the time — he could simply transfer. Her mom, who had an insurance collections job, also had a degree in teaching. She would quit her job in Chicago and use her background to homeschool her daughter in California.
Young Niemietz would be homeschooled from fourth grade to eighth grade while performing in shows, like one particular show she did on Broadway, but she’d go on to attend Saugus High School for all four years before graduating in 2010. She’s since gone on to record her own music and tour in more than 30 countries.
One music video she made caught the attention of TV personality Ellen DeGeneres, earning her an invitation to perform on the May 4, 2011, episode of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” And Niemietz’s work hasn’t slowed. Her YouTube channel has surpassed 30 million views, and she continues to create.
On Friday, Niemietz released her fourth full-length album. It’s called “Superman,” and she said it evolved from a collaborative effort between her and Linda Taylor, the co-writer and co-producer of the album, who’s perhaps best known as the guitarist on the ABC TV show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”
“It was this 10-minute space epic that I made with green screen while we were all locked down (during the COVID-19 pandemic),” Niemietz said. “And that ended in a different version of this song ‘Superman.’ I wish I could say there was a really cool significance behind it. It just rhymed really well. But I do love how empowering it is. And, you know, kind of the vibe of that song is that there’s a superhero inside all of us.”
Niemietz said that those who go to the “Locals Only” show on Nov. 4 at the Main Theater will hear more stories behind the music in an almost conversational type of show.
“It’s going to be kind of a stripped-down show,” she said. “It’s just going to be me with guitar, and then my friend who’s going to be playing keys, and I’m going to play songs from the new album and go back over older stuff, and favorite covers, and really just kind of talk to the audience one on one. It’ll be a lot more up close and personal.”
“Locals Only” is a music series that takes place every other month at The Main that features bands and performers from throughout the Santa Clarita Valley. November’s show spotlighting Niemietz’s music will speak to vulnerability, empowerment and shaking off the past.
For more information and to purchase tickets, go to AtTheMain.org. General admission tickets are $12 each, and seating is said to be limited.
