That was fun.
NYC-based singer-songwriter Samia played to a sold out crowd at Johnny Brenda’s in Philly on Thursday, September 30th (along with opener Savannah Conley). The last time she was in Philly was at this same exact venue over 2 years ago. According to Samia, only 2 people were in the crowd at that show and they talked the entire time while she sang and played her guitar out of tune. It was a sharp contrast to the enthusiastic crowd that showed up this time around. With the release of her debut LP The Baby in 2020 and (more recently) her Scout EP, it shouldn’t be a surprise. Those releases are full of straight up jams (like “Fit N Full”, “Is There Something in the Movies?”, and “Show Up”) that Samia earnestly delivers with her dynamic and beautiful voice. These songs are elevated even further during their live performance. Between songs, Samia joked that her passion is dancing and it shows. She broke out with spirit fingers and twerking and everything in between.
Samia was joined on stage by opener/pal Savannah Conley for a sweet performance of “As You Are”. Later on in the set, the fellas of the band performed a cover of Bobby Vinton’s “Mr. Lonely” (sans Samia) – decked out in matching PJs and (what some would consider) questionable footwear, it was probably intended to be joke-y; however, I enjoyed it immensely. After finishing their regular set with a cover of Heart’s “Barracuda”, Samia came back and sang another song for the people she loves with “21”. All told, they played a generous hour-long set but the crowd wanted even more (especially 2017’s “Someone Tell The Boys”). Personally, I would’ve loved if they played more from Scout including “Show Up” and “The Promise” (a song that I’m old enough to remember when the original came out). Catch yourself a delicious bass and watch the music video for “The Promise” below and keep scrolling to see more photos from the show. And, while you’re at it, don’t forget to DM photos of your dog to Savannah Conley.
Samia Setlist (9/30/2021):
– Pool
– Fit N Full
– Big Wheel
– Triptych
– Stellate
– As You Are (w/ Savannah Conley)
– Winnebago
– Welcome To Eden
– Ode to Artifice
– Mr. Lonely (cover w/o Samia)
– Limbo Bitch
– Waverly
– Django
– Minnesota
– Is There Something in the Movies?
– Barracuda (cover)
// Encore //
– 21
