On Saturday, November 23rd, Sammy Johnson fans were treated to an evening of “Feel Good Music” at The Fox Theatre in Redwood City, CA. Along with Sammy, there were four other amazing artists being featured that night — Servants, Etu, K’Nova, and Finn Gruva. A great time was had by all!
So much so that the venue had to shut down the bar early… really early.
To get the irie vibes flowing, up first was Servants, hailing from the Bay Area. With their sweet harmonies and simple melodies, they immediately got the crowd up and dancing with “My Roots”. This was my first time hearing this band and I really enjoyed them.
Next up was Etu, who you might know previously as “Eddy Dyno”. The crowd was going crazy for him and, I have to say, he was definitely a highlight of the show. When I first got to the venue, I met a friend of Etu’s that was there to support him who told me how much I was going to love him and he was definitely right. I have since found him on Spotify and I really love his music! One of my favorites from the night was “How Lucky”. If you haven’t heard of him yet, definitely check him out!
Next opener on the list was K’Nova, also from the Bay Area. His journey in life has not been an easy one, as he fell into the life on the streets at the young age of 14. After serving five years behind bars, K’Nova honed in on his skill of writing and singing. When he was released at age 19, he moved to Hawaii, where he had the opportunity to showcase his talents for the first time.
His performance was really beautiful.
The direct support slot was filled by Finn Gruva, who is from my hometown of Sacramento. The crowd loved his soulful sound and were singing along with all of his songs. I’m really happy to have been introduced to his music and hoping I can cover more of his local shows in the Sacramento area.
After all the amazing openers, it was finally time for our guy — Sammy Johnson! He had to joke about the venue shutting down the bar so early, because the crowd was already too lit! Sammy, of course, put on an amazing set, as always, singing crowd-favorites like “For Your Love”, “Queen Majesty”, “Sleepwalker”, and closing out the evening with one of my favorites, “Don’t Say Goodbye”. I’m so happy I got to see him this year, as I was unable to see him when he came to Rocklin! It is always such a treat to hear Sammy perform live, he has been a favorite of mine for many years. If you haven’t gotten a chance to see him perform, I highly suggest doing so, because he will probably become one of your favorites, too!
Photography by Sara Taylor
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