You could feel the energy right away: Saturday night, the night before Halloween, and the crowd at Brooklyn Bowl was ready to rock as Samantha Fish’s band took the stage. But Sam was hanging back, letting things heat up just a little more before strapping on her white Gibson SG and lighting the house on fire.
Myself and many in the crowd at Brooklyn Bowl had been waiting 18 months to see Samantha. She was scheduled to appear in New York right before everything shut down. Since then, she’s only become more widely known due to livestreaming during the pandemic and recent heavy touring in support of her new album, Faster, which has been climbing rock and blues charts since its September release.
When Samantha mentioned the album and asked the eager crowd at Brooklyn Bowl if they wanted to hear some songs from it, she received unqualified support, and treated her fans to a healthy sample including “All Ice No Wiskey,” “Better Be Lonely”, and the aptly titled “Loud”.
In addition to serious guitar chops, the multi-talented Fish’s gritty vocals and stylish stage presence make her a commanding live performer. Faster and last year’s Kill or Be Kind represent major advances in songwriting, providing her with solid material to complement long-time favorites such as “Chills and Fever” and “Bitch on the Run.”
Her current band is a tight foursome featuring Matt Wade on keyboards, Sarah Tomek on drums, and Ron Johnson on bass. Opening at Brooklyn Bowl was bluesman and songwriter Jonathon Long. Samantha and crew are touring steadily through the end of the year before heading to Europe. Do yourself a favor and check her out. For tour dates, head here.
Below, check out a gallery of photos from the Samantha Fish show at Brooklyn Bowl via Lou Montesano and a selection of videos via Daniel Zybtsev and Steve Hill.
Samantha Fish – “Chills & Fever” – 10/30/21
Samantha Fish – “Chills & Fever” – 10/30/21
Samantha Fish – “Twisted Ambition” – 10/30/21
