Article Contributed by Devious Planet
Published on 2026-05-19
Photo: Courtesy of Samantha Fish
Following her eighth triumphant appearance at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, acclaimed guitarist and songwriter Samantha Fish has announced a new run of tour dates with UK power trio Zac Schulze Gang in support of her forthcoming live album, Paper Doll Live, due June 12 via Rounder Records.
Recorded at Knoxville’s historic Bijou Theatre, Paper Doll Live marks Samantha Fish’s first official live album. Capturing a band firing on all cylinders in front of a packed crowd, the record features soaring harmonies from Nashville gospel legends The McCrary Sisters and showcases the raw intensity that has made Fish one of the most celebrated live performers in contemporary roots music. Guitar Player praised the album as “arguably Fish’s most authentic concert souvenir,” while Creative Loafing Atlanta hailed her current live show as “one of the most explosive blues shows this year.”
The two-time GRAMMY nominee has built her reputation the old-school way: onstage, with a live show critics have called “wild, raunchy… an absolute must-see” and praised for its “savage guitar work and commanding stage presence.” Paper Doll Live captures that energy in full force — raw, immediate, and impossible to fake.
“There’s a fire that comes across in live performance that doesn’t always translate in studio albums,” says Fish. “The stage lays all of that bare.”
Emerging from Kansas City’s rich blues lineage and shaped by influences ranging from Prince and Leonard Cohen to the legends of Mississippi Hill Country blues, Fish has spent her career transforming live performance into both proving ground and catharsis. From cold-calling bars as a teenager to headlining international festivals, she has forged a live show that balances grit, vulnerability, and explosive musicianship.
“If Paper Doll was a declaration of artistic power,” Fish says, “Paper Doll Live is the sound of that power unleashed.”
With the release of Paper Doll Live and a newly announced tour ahead, Samantha Fish continues to cement her status as one of the most electrifying live performers in modern roots music.
A 2x GRAMMY-nominated guitarist, singer, and songwriter, Samantha Fish is widely recognized as one of the most dynamic artists in contemporary blues and roots music. The Kansas City Hall of Fame inductee and multiple Blues Music Award winner has built a global following through relentless touring, fearless songwriting, and critically acclaimed releases including Runaway, Black Wind Howlin’, Wild Heart, Chills & Fever, Kill or Be Kind, Faster, the chart-topping collaboration Death Wish Blues with Jesse Dayton, and Paper Doll. Fish has shared stages with artists including Slash and The Rolling Stones, and has appeared at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival. She continues to push boundaries while delivering electrifying performances that connect deeply with audiences around the world.
TOUR DATES
5.19 – Warrendale, PA – Jergel’s Rhythm Grille
5.20 – State College, PA – The State Theatre
5.21 – Troy, NY – Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
5.22 – Ledyard, CT – Foxwoods Resort Casino **
5.23 – Beverly, MA – The Cabot
5.24 – Nashua, NH – Nashua Center for the Arts
5.27 – Patchogue, NJ – Patchogue Theatre
5.28 – Syracuse, NY – Westcott Theater
5.29 – Lebanon, NH – Lebanon Opera House
5.30 – Augusta, NJ – Michael Arnone’s Crawfish Fest
5.31 – Buffalo, NY – Babeville
6.19 – Grolloo, Netherlands – Holland Intl Blues Festival
6.20 – Dortmund, Germany – Musiktheater Piano
6.21 – Chiari, Italy – Istituto Salesiano “San Bernardino”
6.23 – Loceri, Italy – Parco Urbano
6.25 – Rubigen, Switzerland – Muhle Hunziken
6.27 – Vienne, France – Jazz a Vienne
6.28 – Erlangen, Germany – E-Werk Kino
6.30 – Mannheim, Germany – 7er-Club
7.01 – Aschaffenburg, Germany – Colos-Saal
7.02 – Hamburg, Germany – Fabrik
7.04 – Helsinki – Puisto Blues
7.07 – Warszawa, Poland – Klub Hydrozagadka
7.08 – Gdynia, PL – Podeorko Art
7.23 – Rochester, NY – Party in the Park
9.11 – New Braunfels, TX – Brauntex Theater
9.12 – Dallas, TX – Kessler Theatre
9.13 – Houston, TX – Heights Theatre
9.16 – Colorado Springs, CO – Phil Long Music Hall +
9.17 – Boulder, CO – Boulder Theater +
9.19 – Telluride, CO – Telluride Blues & Brews
9.20 – Telluride, CO – Telluride Blues & Brews
9.23 – Monterey, CA – Golden State Theatre +
9.24 – Napa, CA – Uptown Theatre +
9.25 – San Luis Obispo, CA – Fremont +
9.26 – Grass Valley, CA – Center for the Arts +
9.27 – Menlo Park, CA – Guild Hall +
9.29 – Portland, OR – Revolution Hall +
10.1 – New York, NY – Buddy Guy Event @ Radio City Music Hall
10.3 – Everett, WA – Kings Hall +
10.4 – Sandpoint, ID – Panida Theater +
10.31 – West Hollywood, CA – Whisky A Go Go ***
** Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
*** Jesse Dayton
+ Zac Schulze Gang
TICKETS ON SALE AT:
SAMANTHAFISH.COM
PRE-ORDER PAPER DOLL LIVE HERE:
https://ffm.to/sfpaperdolllive
Available on vinyl, CD, and digital.
