When singer/guitar slinger Samantha Fish plays The Hilltop Theatre in Litchfield Park on Friday, Oct. 23, she’ll bring more than a set list. The two-time Grammy nominee arrives with the momentum of a career built on fearless touring, personal songwriting, and a new live album recorded in a single night.

The Kansas City Hall of Famer is touring in support of her 2023 studio album “Paper Doll,” and this year’s live album based on that collection. She admitted the project, recorded at the Bijou Theatre in Knoxville, Tennessee, was exhilarating and nerve-wracking.

“It was stressful. I’m not gonna lie,” said Fish, who also plays at The Rialto in Tucson on Thursday, Oct. 22. “To go and do a record in one take is a lot, and that’s essentially what we did. One night, no picking the best versions. I just had to accept that I’d live with whatever happened.”

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A multiple Blues Music Award winner, Fish gained a following the old-fashioned way. For 17 years, she has toured relentlessly and fearlessly shared personal lyrics. She has shared stages with artists including Slash and The Rolling Stones and has appeared at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival. 

Fish’s relationship with live music goes back to her first concert: Sheryl Crow, courtesy of her dad. She remembers being skeptical.

“I don’t know why I would want to go see someone play music. I just listened to it on my radio,” she said.

The show changed everything. Crow’s command of the stage, her multi‑instrumental ease, and her flawless execution left a mark that still shapes Fish’s approach.

Another lesson came from singer-songwriter Paul Thorn, whose kindness toward fans stuck with her. 

“He said something like, ‘They won’t remember the show, but they’ll remember how you treated them,’” Fish said. “That stuck with me for a very long time and still does.”

Onstage in Litchfield Park, fans can expect a show that stretches across her catalog, including “Runaway,” “Black Wind Howlin’,” “Wild Heart,” “Chills & Fever,” “Kill or Be Kind,” “Faster” and “Paper Doll.” 

“It’s a dynamic show. It’s rock ‘n’ roll. It’s soul. There’s a lot of blues elements to it. It’s a lot of guitars. It’s a lot of singing,” she said. “There’s a lot going on.”

Fish has played the Valley often, and Phoenix is a soft spot — especially the Celebrity Theatre. (Promoter Danny Zelisko works with the Celebrity Theatre and The Hilltop Theatre.) 

Her Phoenix memories include a moment that’s become band lore: the night a venue actually fulfilled the joke on their rider. “We, as a joke, have goats on our rider,” she said. “And they were the first ones to ever bring the goats into the venue.”

Offstage, Fish gravitates toward the city’s goth‑leaning boutiques, including Rocket A Go-Go. There, she hunts for jewelry and rock ‘n’ roll accessories. “Phoenix is fun,” she said. “You’ve got some really great clothing shops and little secret goth stores.”

But she is still chasing a personal milestone. 

“It’s one of my life goals to get that stage to spin,” she said, laughing, about the Celebrity Theatre. “We haven’t done it yet, but we’re gonna get there.”