Photo by Marc Fong 2018 ©

With about five stops left on The Storm tour, ZZ Ward played at The Regency Ballroom. The 31-year-old singer-songwriter released her sophomore album The Storm last summer, and she last played an intimate show at The Independent in San Francisco just before that drop (it’s a less kid-friendly venue than The Regency, so it makes sense why there were so many families at the show Wednesday night).

In an all-black shiny leather skirt, long-sleeved lace top, and signature wide brim hat, ZZ hit the stage with flirty flair. In the opening songs “Let It Burn”, “Ghost”, and “Put The Gun Down”, she ramped up the crowd with guitar and harmonica. The rustic quality of her velvety vocals made the bluesy tunes she sang sultry, even in the moments when her voice sounded slightly strained. Her music is catchy, and although it’s decidedly pop, there’s no denying that ZZ Ward blends old-school blues into a modern era. Her charisma and lighthearted energy on stage got fans belting her lyrics back to her. Her biggest hits, “Let It Burn”, “Put The Gun Down”, “Til The Casket Drops”, and “Ride” drew the biggest reactions, and she ended the night with a two-song encore, her latest single “Domino” followed by “365 Days”.

The Storm Tour may be over, but ZZ Ward will be back on the road soon for the 2018 festival season. You can catch her act at The Peach Festival, The Wichita River Festival, The Ride Festival, Floyd Fest, The Mammoth Festival of Beers, and Bluesapalooza.

Keep up with the latest in music news around The Bay on Sweetsoundbites.

Setlist

1. Let It Burn 
2. Ghost 
3. Put the Gun Down 
4. Til the Casket Drops 
5. Hold On 
6. Ride 
7. Save My Life 
8. The Storm 
9. Home 
10. OVERdue/Cinnamon Stix 
11. Last Love Song 
12. Waiting For Charlie 
13. Grinnin’ In Your Face 
14. Bag Of Bones 
15. Cannonball 
16. Lil’ Darlin 
17. Marry Well 
18. She Ain’t Me 
19. Blue Eyes Blind 

Encore

1. Domino 
2. 365 Days

Photo by Marc Fong 2018 ©