Temple Theatre in Rochester has hosted countless events over its 90+ year history, and on December 16, Samantha Fish notched her name in the archives, as she brought the ‘Shake Em Down’ tour to the acclaimed venue.
With doors opening around six o’clock, music enthusiasts were lining up on Liberty Pole Way, eager to get their blues fix on a frigid December evening. For many, they had no idea what awaited them, with Jon Spencer and Cedric Burnside setting the tone for the night.
Skewing more punk than blues, Jon Spencer hit the stage right at 7 p.m., unleashing a feral set as the open-floor theatre filled. Fusing Mississippi Hill Blues with snarling garage-punk, Spencer, alongside Macky Bowman on drums and Kendall Ward on bass, quickly pushed the growing crowd into a frenzy that wouldn’t let up for the next few hours.
Following up the ‘blues with a twist’ set, Cedric Burnside took over the stage and calmly maintained the frenzy that had been established. With music in his DNA, Burnside belted out 40 minutes of classic blues sounds with his electric guitar, including his rendition of his grandfather, R.L. Burnside’s “Poor Black Maddie”. Accompanying him on stage were Joe Eagle on drums and Kody Harrell on bass.
With the tone set, and energy level heightened, fans patiently awaited the star of the night. Running about 20 minutes behind schedule, Fish and company strolled out on stage around 9:20. Wearing black leather pants and matching top, Fish enters from a side door, takes a deep breath and confidently head to center stage. Joining her were Jamie Douglass on drums, Mickey Flynn on keys, Ron Johnson on bass.
With her Grammy nominated Paper Dolls the talk of the tour, fans were happy to hear their favorites during her 70 minute set. After a solid rendition of “Kick Out The Jams” she belted out five tracks from the new album – “Paper Doll”, “I’m Done Running,” “Lose You,” “Sweet Southern Sound” and “Don’t Say It.” All delivered with perfection, just as planned.
Like a see thru smile stamped on my face, you see what you want
Molded to a mirror of your distaste, for brokenhearted blondesFrom “Paper Doll”
While Fish fits the blues genre perfectly, she has taken on a little different sound with the new album. On “Lose You”, you can hear a little country twang, very much like a Miranda Lambert. Coincidentally or otherwise, it only strengthens the impact of her music, as she continues to grow her following.
Widing down the night in Rochester, Samantha Fish floated from side to side on the stage, interacting with fans up close, exchanging smiles along the way. Clearly showing why she has won nearly 40 music awards since 2012, including Independent Blues Award for Artist of the Year in 2016 and 2020.
No good show is complete without an encore, and this show is no exception. After being coerced back on stage, Fish and her band kept the show rolling with “Goin’ Down South”, a cover from Cedrics grandfather R.L. As Ron Popeil once said, “But wait, there’s more!” Fish is soon joined on stage by Jon Spencer and his band as well Burnside and his crew. Ten amazing musicians, jamming together for nearly 10 minutes to round out an exceptional night was the icing on the cake.
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