Samantha Fish, with Jonathon Long

Tralf Music Hall, Buffalo, New York, USA, March 20, 2019

by Doug Hardesty

On the heels of sold-out shows in Detroit, Nashville, and Columbus, Samantha Fish, and her six-piece band, hit the stage at the Tralf Music Hall in Buffalo on March 20th.

Jonathon Long (credit: Doug Hardesty)

Jonathon Long opened the evening. The accomplished 29-year old blues guitarist from Baton Rouge, Louisiana played tunes from his recently recorded album titled “Jonathon Long.” Long’s album was produced by Samantha Fish and published by her new record company “Wild Heart Records.”

Samantha Fish (credit: Doug Hardesty)

Fish started her 100-minute set with a beautiful presentation of “American Dream,” from her 2017 “Bell of the West” CD. She followed with “Chills and Fever,” the title track of her second 2017 release then transitioned to an excellent version of “Highway Holding Me Down” from her 2015 CD, “Wild Heart.”

The set included a spirited performance of “Somebody’s Always Trying” which featured a lengthy guitar solo by Ms. Fish and a rocking delivery of “Heartbreaker.” Fish and Long, armed with cigar box guitars, closed the show with a pounding cover of “Shake ‘Em on Down.”

Samantha Fish (credit: Doug Hardesty)

Kansas City native Samantha Fish started her recording career in 2009. With five albums under her belt, she released two discs, “Belle of the West” and “Chills and Fever” in 2017. She won The Blues Foundation Contemporary Female Blues Artist of the Year in 2018.

Her solid six-piece band includes bassist Chris Alexander, drummer and 1978 Peter Frampton look-alike Scotty Graves, Phil Breen on keys, and a vibrant brass section.

Fish will continue to perform in the states then travel to the Byron Bay Bluesfest (Australia) in April, followed by a twenty-one date European tour in May.

Setlist

March 20th Setlist: American Dream; Chills and Fever; Highway’s Holding Me Now; You Can’t Go; Blame it on the Moon; Lost Myself; Little Baby; Blood in the Water; No Angels; Go Home; Somebody’s Always Trying; Don’t Say You Love Me; Daughters; Heartbreaker; Encore: I’m in Love with You; Shake ‘Em on Down.

Tralf Music Hall

The Tralf Music Hall is an intimate 450 seat multi-level concert venue located in the Buffalo Theater District.

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