Brit-turned-Nashville-resident Joanne Shaw Taylor recently introduced herself to the audience at The Hamilton Live with a bit of an apology. The blues guitar prodigy mentioned how she’d had to cancel her previous two shows because of bronchitis, and that she’d have to talk a bit less than usual during the evening’s performance. She soldiered on admirably though, delighting the crowd with fantastic playing, great songs, and some delightful stories.
Taylor got started early in the music business: Influenced by players like Jimi Hendrix, Albert Collins, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, she’s been playing in bands since she was just 11, and she was leading her own by the tender age of 13. She’s been a professional musician since she was 14, headlining clubs in the UK. When she was 16, Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics recruited her to play in his band. Her first two albums, 2009’s White Sugar and the following year’s Diamonds in the Dirt, placed in the Top 10 of the US blues charts.
At The Hamilton Live on April 4, the set kicked off a series of songs that tapped the deep blues tradition of heartbreak: “Gotta Stop Letting You Let Me Down,” “All My Love,” and “Can’t You See What You’re Doing?” Between the first and the second song, Joanne greeted the audience, explaining her recent illness, and mentioning her “sausage dog” backstage. Later in the show, someone asked about the pup’s name, which is Henry Albus Dumbledore, or Hank for short. The name, of course, comes from the Harry Potter books; Taylor is an avowed reader of fantasy books, often posting about them on her Instagram. A woman who plays great music and loves sausage dogs and fantasy novels: Be still my heart!
The set continued with a cover of Little Milton’s “Let Me Down Easy.” Taylor recorded the song on the set of covers she made with Joe Bonamassa, The Blues Album. The set continued with more originals: “Dying to Know,” “Wanna Be My Lover,” “Just Another Word,” “Watch ‘Em Burn,” and “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long.”
Watch Joanne Shaw Taylor perform “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” live on YouTube:
Joanne worked in a story about the time she was basically catfished into doing her own music video. Since she was a little girl, she shared, she’s had a huge crush on Kevin Costner. Her management told her that Kevin had agreed to appear in her music video, but when she showed up that morning to film, Kevin was nowhere to be found. The video also required her to ride horses, which she is allergic to.
The most personal set of the song was “Fade Away,” which Joanne wrote as a reflection on the passing of her mother from ovarian cancer in 2013, when she was only 57. Taylor noted that her mother was extremely fit and health-conscious, and that she isn’t. “I ride around in a van with these motherfuckers,” she said, gesturing to her band, and with “a sausage dog I adopted off the internet in Detroit. These are not healthy life choices.” She said she thought she’d be lucky to be make it 57, and I hope her prognostications turn out to be in error.
The set rounded out with “Black Magic,” “Stop Messing Round,” and “Bad Love.” For her encore, Joanne ended the night on a positive note with “Change of Heart.” Even if she wasn’t feeling 100%, she gave it her all, putting on a great show.
Here are some photos of Joanne Shaw Taylor performing live at The Hamilton Live on April 4, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Steve Satzberg.
