Singer-songwriter and producer Rachael Sage will bring her unique blend of folk-pop, activism and theatrical flair to Atomic Tom’s on Saturday, July 12 as part of her “Joy=Resistance” tour — a concert series rooted in compassion, self-expression and resilience.

Sage has been recognized by Billboard, American Songwriter, The Bluegrass Situation, Earmilk, PopMatters and Music Connection and her single “Blue Sky Days” made it into Billboard’s Top 40 Indicator Chart. Over the years, she toured with artists like Judy Collins and Ani DiFranco, founded the label MPress Records and released 15 albums — all while using her platform to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, mental health and inclusivity.

A former ballet dancer with the New York City Ballet and an accomplished visual artist, Sage is also a six-time Independent Music Award winner and a John Lennon Songwriting Contest Grand Prize recipient. Her performances have spanned stages from SXSW to the Edinburgh Fringe, and her commitment to social justice has led her to raise funds for causes ranging from women’s cancer research to refugee support.

This stop in Binghamton marks a return to familiar ground for Sage, who frequently performed at the now-closed CyberCafe West. Audiences at Atomic Tom’s can expect an evening of original music, spontaneous storytelling and live collaborations with her band, The Sequins, and singer-songwriter Kristen Ford.

Ahead of the show, Pipe Dream interviewed Sage about how her music has evolved, what inspired the “Joy=Resistance” tour and why Binghamton continues to hold a special place in her heart. Responses have been lightly edited for clarity.

How did your music career begin and how have you evolved since then?

“My first paid gig was performing at the coffeehouse at Stanford University — I made $100 and was amazed they wanted me to keep playing every week, even though I didn’t play covers. Whoever made that decision really encouraged me to keep going, to experiment with different kinds of arrangements — I invited a violinist and a guitarist to sit in sometimes — and eventually I made my way to the East Village in NYC where I began playing places like The Bitter End and Café Sin-é, where I regularly performed before Jeff Buckley, which seems pretty surreal looking back!

“I like to think that my music has evolved from being strictly about myself, my feelings, and beliefs, into more of a hybrid of many sources of inspiration including more journalistic observation, and certainly a desire to encourage listeners to be more accepting of themselves and others, and to hopefully be encouraged to be their most liberated, expressive selves!”

What inspired the name of the “Joy=Resistance” tour?

“Kristen Ford and I were having a chat at the beginning of our tour planning and it just seemed like every day we were witnessing more bad news, more political division and oppression, more stripping away of LGBTQ+ and immigrants’ rights and a general sense of erosion of our democracy.

“What better way to resist, than to continue to try to spread as much joy and be as visible as possible, sharing our unique perspectives and welcoming diverse audiences to our traveling musical circus — a place where we can laugh, reflect and hopefully reinvigorate ourselves with hope and empathy, the best fuel for any form of resistance!”

How did the collaboration with The Sequins and Kristen Ford come together?

“Believe it or not, Kristen tells me that she saw my poster hanging in a bathroom at Kulak’s music venue in Los Angeles, and something about it prompted her to reach out to me to see if I wanted to do some shows together. Stranger things have happened, but it was an unexpected burst of energy and excitement, because I instantly fell in love with her work and we were laughing so much on our first tour-planning meeting, I knew we would really ‘click’ musically, on and off stage.

“And here we are, doing it! It’s been a fantastic week so far and so many more shows to come.”

Why was Binghamton a stop you wanted to include on this tour?

“I’ve been coming to Binghamton for many years now, ever since I first performed there with Judy Collins years back. I used to play Cybercafe West at least once a year — I miss that place, and of course, Jeff the owner, who sadly passed away but was such a champion of indie artists. He was all heart and always made me feel so welcome. I’ve continued to have a very special relationship with the town and am so excited to return to Atomic Tom’s!”

What should attendees expect from your live performance?

“As the saying goes: ‘expect the unexpected!’ Both Kristen Ford and I are very apt to write a new song on the spot, informed by the day’s current events or wild happenings from life on the road.

“That said, we’re also both practiced musicians who take our craft very seriously and truly love being entertainers, so hopefully we’ll get you singing along, laughing, feeling just a little more human, and a lot less alone! I’ll be joined by Nashville-based violinist Sarah Jean, who’s the newest member of my band ‘The Sequins.’”

How are you weaving themes from your newly released songs “Canopy” and “Just Enough” into your performance?

“Since earlier this year — before venturing out with Kristen — I’ve been playing shows under the title ‘The Under My Canopy Tour,’ and in a lot of ways this is a continuation of that for me because the themes of most of my new tunes are inclusivity, safety, and peace. Of course I include these new tunes, but also the thread of the show is the idea that we should be ok letting all voices be heard, not just the loudest ones.

“I’ve chosen repertoire for this tour that will hopefully encourage people with different viewpoints and beliefs to actually be able to listen to or at least respect one another, and ultimately to celebrate one another’s differences.”

What has been your favorite aspect of this tour?

“It’s been wonderful to collaborate directly with Kristen during her set, and her in mine. I’ve been playing piano on some of her material, and she’s been generously beatboxing on some of mine. I’m not a ‘session’ player by any means, so this is a bit outside my comfort zone, which is always an exhilarating feeling — doing new things and growing as a musician and performer is what it’s all about!”

As someone who prioritizes themes of inclusivity and compassion, how have your experiences shaped your music and performances?

“My music is inevitably an extension of everything I experience and prioritize! My experience as a cancer survivor — or as I like to say, a cancer thriver — has endowed me with a renewed sense of gratitude and appreciation for ‘the helpers’ — the doctors, nurses and frontline workers whose roles are inherently inclusive and, ideally, compassionate by nature. ‘First, do no harm’ is a creed I wish everyone could adopt and the next best thing would be: ‘Second, do some good!’

“Now more than ever, I am so appreciative of my musical collective The Sequins because they are not only some of the best musicians I’ve ever encountered but also some of the kindest and most thoughtful human beings I’ve ever met.”

What do you hope attendees will take away from the performance?

“I hope folks who join us at this performance will come away with the sense that they’ve been deeply, undeniably loved, seen and accepted for exactly who they are just by being present and safe under our musical canopy — a joy that everyone deserves! We also hope they’ll feel especially good about supporting live music and their local ‘scene,’ which needs that engagement now more than ever!”