Last Minute Plans: Samantha Church At Underground Wonder Bar

By Sarah Cobarrubias in Arts & Entertainment on Nov 7, 2013 8:10PM

We only recently came across Samantha Church when she took the stage at Moe’s Tavern in Avondale Halloween night—the lovely little lady was dressed as a sexy Louis C.K. (she won the costume contest), so we didn’t expect the passionate powerful blues vocals that would come pouring from her mouth.

Church’s live performance is emotional and moving in a way that reminds you of dark whiskey and your first heartbreak. You’ll find her with acoustic in hand, fingering folk melodies and pushing her soul out through her vocal chords to deliver sultry and sometimes loin-warmingly descriptive narratives. Like the song “Succumb,” whose lyrics read “You’ve got a bead of sweat clinging to your neck. It rolls and falls down between my breasts, warm as your breath which pulls and teases and sounds your primal need to part your lips and feed on me.”

It’s strange to think that with such a stunning voice, it wasn’t that long ago that Church was starting out as a musician in Chicago at the bottom of the totem, playing in subway stations just last year. But already she’s accumulating a steady following, gracing the stage at humble venues across the city and spreading word of her debut album, Primal. You can stream it for free over at her Bandcamp page, but pay up the $7 if you dig it and show some support—it’s passionate artists like Church that drive the underground blues scene.

And, of course, catch her tonight at Underground Wonder Bar when she plays a 2-hour set starting at 8 p.m. In the meantime, here’s a little footage of Church doing her thing at the Red Line Jackson stop:

Samantha Church plays tonight, Thursday, Nov. 7, at Underground Wonder Bar, 710 N Clark, 8-10 p.m., 21+