SAMANTHA FISH / CEDRIC BURNSIDE / JON SPENCER – THE WILBUR
By Rick Fleck
Samantha Fish brought her “Shake ‘Em Down” tour to The Wilbur in Boston with Cedric Burnside and Jon Spencer for direct support.
I returned to Boston’s Theater District on 12/21/25, in what’s starting to feel like a habit. I’ve spent years attending shows in smaller venues, but lately I’ve found myself in mid- to large-size theaters, drawn by bigger acts and bigger productions.
That inevitably brings me downtown, into the bright lights and extortion-level parking prices of Tremont Street and the surrounding neighborhood. Still, I know a few secret spots where you can grab a cheap PBR Tall Boy and a budget take-out bag of Chinese food.
The show I came to see was the Shake ’Em On Down Tour 2025, featuring Samantha Fish, Jon Spencer, and Cedric Burnside. Now in its third year, the traveling blues-rock showcase is spearheaded and headlined by Fish, though all three artists are billed as “collaborators.” Underscoring that spirit, the bands reunited at the end of the night for an exuberant and chaotic shared encore, performing R.L. Burnside’s “Goin’ Down South.”
Samantha Fish’s elite band includes Ron Johnson on bass, Jamie Douglass on drums, and Mickey Finn on keyboards. The four of them kicked off the show with a roar, covering Detroit’s own MC5 and their iconic set opener, “Kick Out the Jams.” It was a bold choice that immediately set the stage for the fiery, high-energy performance to follow. “Paper Doll,” the title track from her 2025 album Paper Doll, oozed personality. The audience greeted it like an old favorite, and Fish quickly proved that her vocals were on par with her guitar playing. “I’m Done Runnin’” gave a hint of Fish’s versatility, with a Jimmy Page vibe.
Photos Rick Fleck
“Lose You,” also from Paper Doll, was a slower track featuring sultry, barroom-style vocals reminiscent of Amy Winehouse. The song built to a crescendo with an early ’70s, Allman Brothers–style guitar solo. Samantha Fish changed guitars often, bringing distinct tones, frequencies, and dynamics that paired perfectly each time.
Douglass is a powerful and expressive drummer. With Johnson on bass, they provided the backbone that allowed Fish to work her magic. Finn’s keyboards are understated—just enough to add color and feel without being overdone. Fish commanded the stage. It’s clear she’s not messing around: powerful, confident, in command, and even a little cocky, in the best rock ‘n’ roll sense of the word.
“Sweet Southern Sounds,” the first single from Paper Doll, was a heavy blues rocker with a killer solo, Fish strutting back and forth across the stage in bellbottoms that shifted from silver to gold depending on the lighting. “Bulletproof,” arguably her most popular song, was my favorite of the night and hearing it live was a real treat. Fish began by playing on her knees, sounding uncannily like Maggot Brain–era Eddie Hazel. Tapping into Delta and hill country blues culture, she wielded an eye-catching cigar box guitar.
With Douglass pounding the skins, Samantha Fish brought out a Flying V for “Fortune Teller,” playing it with the same dexterity and aplomb she displayed on every instrument that night. “Rusty Razor” proved to be another showstopper. The set concluded with “Black Wind Howlin’” from her 2013 album of the same name. Fish delivered a fiery extended jam, closing the show on a high note. The aforementioned encore featured R.L. Burnside’s Mississippi hill country blues classic “Goin’ Down South,” with guest appearances from members of Jon Spencer’s and Cedric Burnside’s bands.
Born in Memphis and raised in Holly Springs, Mississippi, Cedric Burnside is a Mississippi Hill Country blues guitarist and singer with an impressive pedigree. His father, Calvin Jackson, was a blues drummer, and his grandfather, R.L. Burnside, was a blues legend. Cedric grew up immersed in blues traditions and live performances. Joining him on stage were the talented Kody Harrell on bass & Joe “Eagle” Johnson on drums.
Photos Rick Fleck
Burnside opened with a trio of songs from his latest album, Hill Country Love: the title track ”Hill Country Love,” “Thank You,” and “Closer.” As Burnside succinctly put it, “(here’s) Mississippi blues for ya!” These were authentic blues sounding like they were from nearly a century ago—raw, gritty, and deeply expressive.
The remainder of the set drew from a variety of albums released throughout his career. They included “We Made It,” “Please Tell Me Baby,” where things really got cooking, and “That’s My Girl.” “What Make Me Think” was a slower number, drawing listeners in with its hypnotic beat and slowly unraveling, much like “Crawlin’ King Snake” by Delta blues icon John Lee Hooker. Burnside closed the set with “Toll On They Life,” another slower-paced song that temporarily transformed the Wilbur Theater into a sweaty Southern juke joint.
Jon Spencer began his set with fan favorite “Skunk.” “Junk Man” featured a Tony Iommi–influenced power chord intro. This song, like many others in the set, was a no-frills, barebones number that evoked psychobilly godparents The Cramps. “1 Hour Later” was a cover from Spencer’s days in Pussy Galore, as was “Alright,” heard later in the set.
Photos Rick Fleck
“2 Kindsa Love” showcased his classic blues/punk aesthetic, while “Wrong” contained elements reminiscent of Led Zeppelin’s “Rock ‘n’ Roll.” Spencer also covered “(Sometimes You Got to Be) Gentle” from his regrettably short-lived band Heavy Trash with Matt Verta-Ray.
Jon Spencer’s show has a raw, gritty, and aggressive nature. Lo-fi textures blend with distorted, sometimes fuzzy or overdriven guitars. Vocals are intentionally rough-edged, often shouted, and sometimes unintelligible. Dynamics are emphasized, with bursts of intensity throughout. It’s a chicken-and-egg question: did the studio sound imitate the live sound, or vice versa?
Manic drummer Macky “Spider” Bowman provided straightforward, effective rhythms, and with Kendall Wind on bass, the three formed a classic power trio, much like hard rock progenitors Blue Cheer.
Spencer closed the set with a trio of songs: “Fancy Pants,” “Sweat,” and “Come On!” Fittingly, given the show was in Boston, Spencer channeled the spirit of the late great J. Geils, capturing his signature vocal phrasing and talking-blues style.
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