On an otherwise cold and snowy day, things heated up quickly inside the Westcott Theater on Saturday, as blues rock icon Samantha Fish brought her Bulletproof Tour to Syracuse, with JD Simo served up as the opening act this evening.
Fish, 35, has been a major player on the modern blues-rock scene since launching on to the circuit in 2009. The Kansas City native has become a favorite in the Central New York area, headlining several shows in the area over the last fifteen years. Fish most-notably served as direct support for Buddy Guy at the 2023 New York State Blues Festival, which took place in Syracuse last summer. (Get the scoop on the 2024 lineup here!)
The evening started with a set by blues guitarist, JD Simo, who gifted the early arriving crowd to a set that showcased his diverse style. Showcasing himself as more than just dabbling in blues rock, Simo’s 40-minute set also displayed elements of jazz and psychedelic rock, while performing tracks such as “Mortgage My Soul” off of his 2022 release Songs From the House of Grease.
After a brief set change over, Samantha Fish took to the stage. Armed with her signature cigar-box guitar and flanked by her bandmates, Fish launched in to the high energy “Bulletproof”. Fish paced the stage and took turns showcasing her guitar skills for those on each side of the theater. “The jewelry is coming off!” Fish proclaimed early in the set, hinting to the audience there was much more guitar prowess to come this evening.
Fish dazzled the crowd with her diverse musical catalog. Late in the set, Fish donned an acoustic guitar for three songs (two of which featured Fish on stage, solo). Certainly there are instances in the concert world where this would remove the energy from the venue, however this was not the case on this evening. Fish maintained captive hold of the audience all the while.
After a near 90-minute set, Fish and her bandmates would return to the stage with opener JD Simo. “Let’s party for one more song” Fish would announce, before launching in to “Bitch on the Run”. Fish and Simo would trade guitar solos through out the track while the packed theater took their last opportunity to dance about. Soon the show would be over and the packed theater would spill back out in to the cold Syracuse air.
The post In Focus: Samantha Fish Brings Bulletproof Tour to Westcott Theater in Syracuse appeared first on NYS Music.
