THROUGH THE LENS: Jenny Don’t & The Spurs, X, Samantha Fish, and Other Photos of the Week

It may seem a little too soon in the year to do a photos of the week theme, but your ND photographers have been quite busy, in spite of the holidays, and through January’s bizarre weather. From legends such as X (the roots punk band) to country bands Jenny Don’t & the Spurs and Hannah Juanita & the Hardliners, and the appropriately named band The Cowpokes, to the blues of Cedrick Burnside and Samantha Fish, they’ve got you covered.

Fish, who I’ve seen on numerous occasions, is nothing short of spellbinding on the stage. Hailing from Kansas City, Missouri, the 35 year old has paid her dues and then some. How else could she have been featured at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival and been an integral part of the Experience Hendrix Tour. 

Based in Portland, Oregon it has taken a dozen years for Jenny Don’t & the Spurs to break through to a wider audience. As Grant Britt noted in his 2024 ND review on their latest album, Broken Hearted Blue, “Jenny Don’t must have gotten tangled up in Wanda Jackson’s DNA somewhere along the line.” If you are as big a fan of Jackson as I am, then you’ll definitely want to catch them live as Kirk Stauffer did in Seattle, Washington. 

Speaking of Washington, that’s where Hannah Juanita began writing the songs that world appear on her debut album Hardliner (2021), as

Queer Country noted, “Blending the acidic lyricism of Loretta Lynn with instrumental arrangements and vocal performances that channel Patsy Cline’s greatest kiss-offs, Hardliner is a love letter to leaving, a spirited tribute to the life of a ‘Ramblin Gal.’” Liza Orozco caught the band at one of most unique venues in the country, Pappy & Harriet’s in Pioneertown, California. She also caught Summer Dean there.

Lest I fail to say a few words about the only punk band I ever really cared about, X: despite living within walking distance of CBGB back in the day, I was not that taken with punk. However, one of the exceptions was X. I not only found them to be roots-inspired, but their music had ideas. Formed in 1977, the band quickly became influential during the 1980s, then went on hiatus. They regrouped in 2004, and for the past 15 years have having touring fairly regularly. Dave Alvin was a (non-founding) member of the band for a while, and its members have also been the core of The Flesh Eaters, and The Knitters. I am so happy that Liza has shared her fabulous photos with us.

Click on any photo below to view the gallery as a full-size slideshow.