I first heard of guitarist Samantha Fish four to five years ago; probably on YouTube. She got great exposure with earlier tunes like the wonderful "Crow Jane," where Samantha performs on a cigar box guitar (or was it her oil can guitar?). I knew, eventually, I'd like to see her live (much of my discovery of her music was during Covid), and possibly do an interview, all of which all happened thanks to Ms Fish and her team!
First, we had a nice, informative interview several weeks ago. It was brief, but that's ok, I'm really just getting to know about her.
While growing up in Kansas City KS, she was, early on, attracted to drums, then switched to guitar at age fifteen, being inspired by the likes of Tom Petty & Benmont Tench, Bonnie Raitt, and the Stones' Sticky Fingers. She was hooked. Samantha is also a big R.L. Burnside fan and performed with her older sister, Amanda Fish, then (and now) as a direct result of discovering the Blues, through Rock & Rock. Just like so many of us have!
The sold-out Saturday night, April 9th, show was at The Lyric Theatre, in Stuart, Florida — a wonderful, small, nearly one hundred-year-old venue — and the crowd was obviously excited.
My pal Rob Killam (host of Saturday Songbag on WFIT) joined me for the show, stating "Samantha Fish stepped out as though she owned the stage, and then spent the next 90 minutes proving so, with furious fretwork, and a searing slide guitar".
Truer words were never spoken! By the third song in her fast-paced opener, she slowed it down a bit with my favorite track by Samantha - "Hello Stranger," a wonderful ballad that I've loved most of my life, the original being released when I was three-years-old by Barbara Lewis. Then again, I loved the version by Yvonne Elliman in the 70's. But I think this version is by far my favorite.
Not only did Ms. Fish play my favorite, but the favorites of many. Including "Bitch on the Run," "I wish I was in Heaven Sitting Down," and great tracks off her newest release Faster (which hit #1 on the billboard blues charts), including the title track, "Hypnotic," and the badass "Better Be Lonely" (when I come for your love). Samantha is definitely a crowd favorite! She came back for her encore with a fiery acoustic/electric version of Neil Young's "Don't Let It Bring You Down." How could we let it bring us down?? This woman rocks the blues!!
Thank you to everyone involved in helping arrange all this for me. And Samantha for the fun chat, great music, and fantastic performance! samanathafish.com
Please enjoy the accompanying video, featuring my interview with Samantha Fish,
and many photos from the Lyric Theatre gig!
edited by Adam Bryn Tritt, thank you
"On the FlipSide" with Java John
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