Sara Bareilles reveals surprising pre-show ritual that she has had since the beginning of her career
Sara Bareilles always pours a bourbon before she goes on stage and has done since she started her career more than 20 years ago.
Sara Bareilles always pours a bourbon before she goes on stage.
The 45-year-old singer/songwriter has been performing professionally for more than 20 years and revealed that before every gig, she will always indulge in a "tiny amount" of barrel-aged whiskey.
She told UsWeekly: "I always pour a tiny bit of bourbon [before going onstage]. I don’t even really drink it anymore —I’ve just been doing this since I was in my 20s."
The 'Love Song' hitmaker also makes sure to "touch in with whoever is going on stage" at the time and tries to remind herself that any performance she gives is "not really about" her, but is more about what she can give to a paying audience.
She added: "Spiritually, I try to really touch in on this idea that the best shows are when I can stay in the mind state of, ‘It’s not about me'. Stepping on stage is really not about me — it’s about what we can offer to the audience. On my better nights, I really can get out of my own way."
The former 'Waitress' star - who wrote and performed in the leading role of the Tony Award-nominated Broadway musical that was based on the 2007 comedy - also has a simple rider that is just made up of "basic" things.
She said: "Snacks, good lighting and a mirror. Basic stuff. I don’t have a bowl of green M+Ms. I don’t really like wasting things. Sometimes you get into a habit of having everything under the sun at your fingertips. I really just want a bottle of bourbon, some water, good lighting and my dog, [Louie]. He's truly the most helpful [backstage hack]."
