I see a lot of shows; most of them rock. The majority of them are also in a club or venue where I’ll be standing all night (when I’m not shooting photos). Occasionally, I get to cover something totally different. That’s what Stella Cole’s recent show at The Birchmere was. This show was her second time around in about six months. You can read my first review here.
Since I saw her first show, I knew what I was in store for and I was not disappointed. There is no opener. It’s simply an evening with Stella and The Great American Songbook! You can watch the video of here version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” if you’re not already familiar with Stella.
Watch Stella Cole perform the classic “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” live on YouTube:
Her band arrived on stage first at The Birchmere on May 15. That’s Michael Kanan on piano, Henry-Allen Barfield behind the drums, and Neal Miner on the double bass. Moments later, Stella walks on stage in a beautiful silky chocolate brown gown to polite and appropriate applause. This is The Birchmere.
Stella has a lovely stage presence. She sings beautifully but her stories and unexpected set additions add so much to the show. She kicked off the evening with “On a Clear Day You Can See Forever” from the Broadway musical of the same name.
The Birchmere is a great place for a show like this. I’ve said it before but it bears repeating; this show, this artist, this venue all made me feel like I was in a jazz club in the mid 1960s (minus the cigarette smoke).
Throughout the show, Stella weaves stories in between the songs. Some are about her childhood and growing up watching musicals and singing with family. My favorite story of the night was one she told about the time she quit music. She was studying music in college and stopped playing because her confidence had been shaken. She didn’t think there was an audience for what she wanted to do. But her dad encouraged her to sing what she wanted and post on TikTok. She did and now has over 850,000 followers on the social media site.
The crowd is a wonderful mix of all ages. It goes to show that the songs of the Great American Songbook truly are timeless. And Stella performs them with the utmost respect. She doesn’t reinterpret them or change them. She stays faithful to the originals. It’s a fun show for everyone. So if you’re looking for a show where you can listen to wonderful music and still talk to your friends without shouting, check out Stella Cole the next time she’s in the area.
Setlist
- On A Clear Day You Can See Forever
- The Boy Next Door
- Thou Swell
- It’s Magic
- Singing In The Rain
- As Time Goes By
- Crush On You
- It Had To Be You
- Cry Me A River
- Walking In The Sunshine
- Moon River
- Anything Goes
- When The Sun Comes Out
- Somewhere Over The Rainbow
Encore
- That’s All
Here are some photos of Stella Cole performing live at The Birchmere on May 15, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Marc Shea.
