By Doug Staggs
Photos by Conrad Good
Dec. 13, 2016
Fast, slow, soft, hard. Samantha Fish and her band brought it all Sunday night to a packed house at the Zoo Bar.
Her first show in Lincoln since St. Patrick’s Day, the Kansas City native put on one of the best shows this writer has ever seen at the Zoo. On the road promoting her latest album, Wild Heart, the 2012 Blues Music Awards Best New Artist showed the same kind of fire and skill she brought back in March.
Playing tracks from that album, a few classics, and mixing in a few covers, the Fish band kept the venue excited all night. It was evident in the variety of the set list the wide range of influences. Bluegrass, country, blues, roots rock and even punk genres could be felt in their show. But the energy was always there.
View the full photo album on KZUM’s Flickr.
[slickr-flickr tag=”FishDec16″ size=”large”]Even on the slower, more haunting songs, the energy of Fish was palpable, bubbling just under the surface. And when that energy did pour out, you could feel it like a tidal wave of energy washing over the crowd. Not only possessing a powerful, soulful voice, but some of the best guitar skills around, Fish and her band gave a great performance.
Catching up with Fish after the show, I asked her about playing the Zoo again and her thoughts on the show.
“It was a really great crowd [especially for a Sunday night], and it’s always fun to play the Zoo Bar,” she said.
I also asked about future tour dates, and she told me they would be in Texas this week before taking a break for the holidays, but have future shows down south this spring, including a stop In Cancun, Mexico, in the middle of February.
Like many others, I look forward to the next time she is in the neighborhood.
Doug Staggs is one of KZUM’s tireless fall interns.
Special thanks to Conrad Good for the photos.
