Review by JoJo Anthony
Photos by Joe Schaeffer
What do you get when you team a female guitarist with a guy who plays the guitar from Texas? You get one of the best rock n’ roll collaborations of 2022. Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton are currently touring in support of their EP, The Stardust Sessions. Their performance at the Whisky is by far one of the most fired up and exciting shows currently on the road.
I was unfamiliar with Dayton, who has worked with some of the greatest country artists like Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and the great Willie Nelson. He’s a classic country picker with a flair for some rockabilly shredding. I have to admit, I wasn’t too familiar with Fish either until I caught her performance a mere two months ago. I became an instant fan after that. With a mixture of blues, rock and country, their set of classic covers and original material overwhelmed a sold out crowd at the popular Hollywood venue.
Both Fish and Dayton are accomplished guitarists and their styles blend well. Fish with slide guitar expertise and Dayton with his Texas fast-picking attack perfectly complement each other. Watch both on stage together was extremely fun.
The duo, backed by a fantastic support band, opened the set with a cover of the Vince Taylor’s 1959 classic “Brand New Cadillac.” Some rock aficionados may recall The Clash covering the song on their 1979 album London Calling. This version was fired up and featured the duo sharing the vocals as well as some fantastic guitar licks. A video behind the song is currently making the rounds online.
The set featured some classic blues and soul songs like Fish’s interpretation of the 1963 Barbara Lewis hit “Hello Stranger,” which is simply sublime. Her vocals have a torchlight quality — extremely sultry and sexy. In honor of performing at the Whisky, the duo covered “Seven And Seven Is” by the popular late 60s band Love, who played the venue frequently. Of course, they were obliged to dust off “Burning House of Love” by X from their 1985 album Ain’t Love Grand. Dayton toured with X in 2016, filling in for guitarist Billy Zoom.
One of my personal highlights of the night was the cover of the Slim Harpo song “Shake Your Hips.” Some Rolling Stones fan may remember a cover of this song on 1972’s Exile On Main Street. This version was performed as medley, which segued in to “Whole Lotta Rosie” by AC/DC. I have to admit, I’ve never heard AC/DC performed with a Texas boogie shuffle, but I absolutely loved it.
Fish’s ‘‘Bulletproof” from her 2019 release, Kill Or Be Kind was my favorite. With her trademark cigar box guitar, Fish delivered a performance reminiscent of the great Bonnie Raitt. It was definitely a crowd favorite and understandably what makes Fish such an astounding act.
The duo took some time to perform a couple of acoustic numbers, including a beautiful rendition of “I’ll Be Here In The Morning” by Townes Van Zandt. The vocal harmonies were just perfect and the audience was captivated.
Samantha Fish has one loyal following. The sold-out crowd was filled with people who were dedicated fans and there for a good time. Dayton and Fish are one of the most exciting acts currently touring with an album in the works. The Stardust Sessions should only enhance both of their careers.
If you have a chance to catch the two on tour, I guarantee you’ll have a great time. The show features some great songs, amazing guitar work, and a band that delivers the goods.
