ORANGE PARK – The Thrasher-Horne Center for the Arts was certainly busy last week.

With a performance by the Wizards of Winter on Thursday to a blues and zydeco jam session on Sunday, the Clay County community has been treated to some spectacular shows.

Headline act Tab Benoit brought some of his closest friends and music partners all the way from Louisiana for a blues concert to rival most others.

Opened for by Kansas City native Samantha Fish, the show was off to an energetic start. Of all the shows I’ve been to at the Thrasher Horne, Fish stood out.

With a magnetism uniquely her own, Fish performed a set of songs from her four albums, including “Kill or Be Kind” and “Faster” two of the titular tracks from her most recent albums. Fish was the perfect crowd opener. Her raucous drums and fast guitar riffs perfectly matched the strength of her voice.

With a cult following that was already on their feet, it’s easy to see why the line for signed merchandise spread across the theater lobby.

As the line died down, the headlining act came on stage and got ready to perform. Tab Benoit’s Swampland Band immediately launched into a bluesy guitar riff accompanied by his bassist and drummer. As the first song ended, he brought out the first of his friends – Waylon Thibodeaux, a singer and fiddler from just south of New Orleans. The two of them brought up the crowd’s energy with stories about Louisiana, and a reminder that this really was a jam session at its core.

“I love you guys, this makes it fun to perform,” Benoit said while listening for audience requests. “Here’s another request in the key of E. Just so all of you can play along on your air guitars. I don’t want to look out over at y’all and see someone playing in G.”

Benoit brought out his second guest after a soulful ballad with a raunchy joke thrown in for good measure. Johnny Sansone brought accordion, harmonica and his own voice to the stage, and he reminded us all that blues music at its core tells a story. The group played one of his songs that he wrote while seeing the devastation hurricane Katrina wrought on Louisiana, “Poor Man’s Paradise.”

Blues music has historically served as a commentary on the world and situations and politics that the singer sees fault in, and this song was no different, claiming that it’s because of bigshots refusing to compromise that led to the people of New Orleans suffering.

The last guest Benoit brought to the stage was Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, a member of the Mardi gras Indian tribe, the Golden Eagles. Many know Boudreaux for his incorporation of African rhythms into his music, and that definitely showed as they performed the last few songs together. Chief Boudreaux rounded out the drumline with a tambourine and rousing foot stomping, keeping the beat.

As the show ended, the entire group came together for a final jam, Samantha Fish joining in the group with her band. Playing Benoit’s song “We Make a Good Gumbo,” the group brought the house down around them with guitar heavy riffs, a pounding drumline and simultaneous accordion and harmonica.

The crowd stayed on their feet dancing long after the show ended, and you could hear other guests humming along to songs as they walked to their car.