Central Florida was ready for the return of Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Samantha Fish to The Hard Rock Live in Universal Studios Orlando on February 3, 2023. On this chilly winter night, the 1,600 seat venue was nearly sold out as blues fans came from near and far. The Hard Rock had reserve seating and every open space in the venue had a chair. Usually the lower bowl is open for general admission with no chairs. Heck, there wasn’t even room for merchandising tables to be setup.
Starting out the evening was the charismatic and talented Samantha Fish. The Kansas City, Missouri native opened playing slide on her cigar box guitar. Fish was out supporting her 2021 release Faster which was a #1 Billboard Top Blues Album in 2021. Samantha mesmerized the crowd, keeping every eye glued to her as she performed center stage, just ripping the strings on her guitar while showing her vocal range. The audience responded by standing ovations after many select songs. Get out and support this blues guitarist as she really puts on a fantastic performance every night.
Band:
Samantha Fish – Guitar/Vocals
Sarah Tomek – Drums
Matt Wade – Keyboards
Ron Johnson – Bass
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Setlist:
1.) Bulletproof (Tangle Eye Mix)
2.) Better Be Lonely
3.) Twisted Ambition
4.) Hello Stranger (Barbara Lewis cover)
5.) No Angels
6.) Dream Girl
7.) Black Wind Howlin’
What do you get when you take the best blues guitarist on the planet with the best blues vocalist? The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band!
Since crashing on the scene at 18 years old with the #1 Billboard blues album, Ledbetter Heights then following up a year later with his second #1 Billboard blues album Trouble Is… as well as the #1 the US Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart single, “Blue On Black.” Kenny Wayne Shepherd has released ten albums, and eight of the ten charting #1 on the Billboard Magazines US Blues charts, it hard to argue anything different. Kenny Wayne Shepherd is “completely self-taught” and he doesn’t read music. Lead vocalist Noah Hunt has been with the band in 1997 joining in time for the second album. I really feel he has the perfect blues tone for this band.
This time out on the road is to promote the 25 year anniversary of the release of Trouble Is… playing the complete album for the first time in concert. The show ended in spectacular fashion, but nobody was moving as Kenny promised that when the show was over he and the band would leave…..but you the audience will cheer and clap and we will play an encore, he was going to play a few of his favorites to play in front of an audience.
The encore started with “Woman Like You” which always gets the crowd dancing in their seats. In all 17 songs were played including the sentimental favorite for lovers ” I Found Love (When I Found You).” This show had something for everyone, covers from Bob Dylan, B.B. King, and of course, The Jimi Hendrix Experience for the true Rock n Roll guitar experience. I look forward to seeing Kenny Wayne Shepherd next year when he is out touring with his new album that is coming out this summer.
Band:
Kenny Wayne Shepherd – Guitar/Vocals
Noah Hunt – Vocals/Guitar
Chris Layton – Drums
Joe Krown – Keyboards
Kevin McCormick – Bass
Setlist:
1.) Trouble Is…
2.) Somehow, Somewhere, Someway
3.) Everything Is Broken (Bob Dylan cover)
4.) Chase the Rainbow
5.) I Found Love (When I Found You)
6.) Nothing to Do With Love
7.) Kings Highway
8.) True Lies
9.) (Long) Gone
10.) I Don’t Live Today (The Jimi Hendrix Experience cover)
11.) Blue on Black
12.) Slow Ride
Encore:
13.) Woman Like You
14.) I Want You
15.) Diamonds & Gold
16.) Heat of the Sun
17.) You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now (B.B. King cover)
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Photographer and Editor/Founder of AllMusicMagazine.com. My love of live music has taken me to incredible experiences with the top bands of all time in stadium shows to the smallest venues with equally inspiring musicians. Using the medium of photography and my publication, these memories will last forever.
