Photos and writing by Dillon Reesor
Saturday night’s sold-out stop of Samantha Fish’s Paper Doll Tour at the Newberry Opera House was a masterclass in contemporary blues—and for my first blues show, it set a pretty high bar. The Opera House itself, with its warm acoustics and classic charm, made the perfect setting for Fish’s sound: intimate enough to feel personal, yet grand enough to give her performance some real weight.
Fish, fresh off her recent feature in Guitar World’s Blues Boom! issue, played like someone entirely at ease with her spotlight. She’s technically fierce, no question, but what really lands is the personality behind her playing—equal parts grit, swagger, and soul. Every riff carried a sense of character, whether it was the snarling edge of Deathwish Blues material or the smoky slow-burns tucked between the heavier numbers.
The band around her was locked in tight, keeping the set fluid and dynamic without ever overshadowing her lead. The mix was one of the best I’ve heard recently; crisp vocals, clear separation, and just enough grit to make it feel alive. And while the Newberry crowd stayed seated for most of the night, their enthusiasm came through in whistles, shouts, and those mid-song bursts of applause that let the players know they were in the zone.
For me, this one exemplified what makes live blues so magnetic—it’s less about spectacle and more about feel. Fish doesn’t just play the genre; she molds it toward her own identity, making every song feel lived-in and immediate.
By the end of the night, it wasn’t about volume or flash. It was about tone, timing, and presence—the kind of show that doesn’t knock you over all at once, but settles in deep and lingers long after you’ve left the theater.
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