Sama Dams
Band from Portland, OR
Sama Dams is an avant-rock trio from Portland, Oregon, formed by married songwriters Sam and Lisa Adams. The band incorporates elements of jazz, R&B, and new wave into their experimental sound, which has been compared to artists like Thom Yorke and the Dirty Projectors. They are known for releases such as the album 'Say It' and the single 'Principle of Loving', distributed through the label Self Group.
Automated summary by BandSlate from the band's website and Last.fm.
- PDX
- Shows on record
- 30
- Rooms played
- 20
- Cities
- 8
- Releases
- 13
- Last show
- Dec 7, 2025Holocene
About
Sama Dams is a band from Portland, OR, tagged PDX by its sources. Shows on record run from 2013 to 2025, across 20 rooms in 8 cities.
- Sama Dams is based in Portland — MusicBrainz
- Sama Dams has 8 release group(s) on MusicBrainz spanning 2011–2020 — MusicBrainz
- Sama Dams has 977 listeners on Last.fm — Sama Dams on Last.fm
- Sama Dams has released 9 recordings between 2013 and 2018 — Sama Dams on Discogs
The summary is assembled from the record fields and shows on this page; each fact listed names its source. See Sources & corrections for what each source supplied.
Shows
30 on record · Songkick, bandslate-pipeline, venue calendarShows per year
- 20136 shows
- 20146 shows
- 20154 shows
- 20163 shows
- 20173 shows
- 20182 shows
- 20191 show
- 20201 show
- 20254 shows
| Date | Venue | Billing | With |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 7, 2025 | Holocene · PortlandSupportwith Kinzie Steele, Luke Wyland | Support | Kinzie Steele, Luke Wyland |
| May 25, 2025 | Rontoms Lounge · PortlandSupportwith The BUILDERS, The BUTCHERS, Federale, +2 | Support | The BUILDERS, The BUTCHERS, Federale, +2 |
| May 25, 2025 | Rontoms · PortlandSupportwith The BUILDERS, The BUTCHERS, Federale, +2 | Support | The BUILDERS, The BUTCHERS, Federale, +2 |
| Jan 11, 2025 | Mississippi Studios · PortlandSupportwith Camp Crush, Deepest Darkest | Support | Camp Crush, Deepest Darkest |
| Feb 5, 2020 | Doug Fir Lounge · PortlandSupportwith MAITA, Wave Action | Support | MAITA, Wave Action |
| Aug 16, 2019 | Bunk Bar · PortlandSupportwith Meernaa, Brown Calculus | Support | Meernaa, Brown Calculus |
| Nov 3, 2018 | The Old Church · PortlandHeadlinerwith Dear Nora | Headliner | Dear Nora |
| Sep 13, 2018 | Holocene · PortlandSupportwith No Kind of Rider, Slow Corpse | Support | No Kind of Rider, Slow Corpse |
| Oct 7, 2017 | Woodland TheaterHeadliner | Headliner | — |
| Mar 11, 2017 | Neck of the Woods · San FranciscoSupportwith Smokin Ziggurats, Meernaa, Dagmar, +1 | Support | Smokin Ziggurats, Meernaa, Dagmar, +1 |
| Feb 15, 2017 | Holocene · PortlandHeadlinerwith Heatwarmer, Reptaliens | Headliner | Heatwarmer, Reptaliens |
| Nov 25, 2016 | Revolution Hall · PortlandSupportwith Radiation City, Pure Bathing Culture | Support | Radiation City, Pure Bathing Culture |
| Jul 29, 2016 | The Merrow · San DiegoHeadlinerwith Guides, Soft Lions, garden echo | Headliner | Guides, Soft Lions, garden echo |
| Apr 11, 2016 | Roxy · PragueHeadlinerwith Clarke and the Himselfs | Headliner | Clarke and the Himselfs |
| Sep 6, 2015 | Doug Fir Lounge · PortlandSupportwith Portland Cello Project, Tango Alpha Tango, Mbrascatu, +1 | Support | Portland Cello Project, Tango Alpha Tango, Mbrascatu, +1 |
| Apr 9, 2015 | Amnesia · San FranciscoSupportwith Meernaa | Support | Meernaa |
| Feb 27, 2015 | Mississippi Studios · PortlandSupportwith Lost Lander, Radiation City | Support | Lost Lander, Radiation City |
| Jan 31, 2015 | Wonder Ballroom · PortlandSupportwith School Of Rock, Stephen Malkmus, Red Fang, +18 | Support | School Of Rock, Stephen Malkmus, Red Fang, +18 |
| Jul 6, 2014 | Mississippi Studios · PortlandSupportwith Typhoon | Support | Typhoon |
| Jun 22, 2014 | Bottom of the Hill · San FranciscoSupportwith Astronauts Etc | Support | Astronauts Etc |
| Jun 8, 2014 | Mississippi Studios · PortlandSupportwith Typhoon | Support | Typhoon |
| May 21, 2014 | Doug Fir Lounge · PortlandSupportwith Radiation City, wishyunu | Support | Radiation City, wishyunu |
| Feb 25, 2014 | Amnesia · San FranciscoSupportwith Bill Baird | Support | Bill Baird |
| Feb 19, 2014 | Lounge South · AshlandHeadlinerwith 100 Watt Mind | Headliner | 100 Watt Mind |
| Sep 25, 2013 | Holocene · PortlandSupportwith And And And, Night Mechanic | Support | And And And, Night Mechanic |
| Sep 10, 2013 | The Crocodile - Old Location · SeattleSupportwith Typhoon, 1939 Ensemble | Support | Typhoon, 1939 Ensemble |
| Sep 4, 2013 | Mouth House · DenverHeadlinerwith Rubedo, Facial, Lucida Tela | Headliner | Rubedo, Facial, Lucida Tela |
| Jul 25, 2013 | The Nick · BirminghamSupportwith Que Sera Sera | Support | Que Sera Sera |
| May 21, 2013 | Bunk Bar · PortlandSupportwith And And And | Support | And And And |
| May 2, 2013 | Alhambra Theatre · PortlandSupportwith Social Studies, Catherine Feeny, Hustle and Drone, +3 | Support | Social Studies, Catherine Feeny, Hustle and Drone, +3 |
Where they play
20 rooms in 8 citiesRooms played most
- Holocene · Portland4 shows
- Mississippi Studios · Portland4 shows
- Doug Fir Lounge · Portland3 shows
- Amnesia · San Francisco2 shows
- Bunk Bar · Portland2 shows
Cities played
- Portland19 shows
- San Francisco4 shows
- Ashland1 show
- Birmingham1 show
- Denver1 show
and 3 other cities
Live history
29 shows on record- Shows counted
- 29
- First on record
- May 2013
- Latest on record
- Dec 2025
Shows per year
- 20136
- 20146
- 20154
- 20163
- 20173
- 20182
- 20191
- 20201
- 20253
Top rooms
- Holocene, Portland · 4
- Mississippi Studios, Portland · 4
- Doug Fir Lounge, Portland · 3
- Bunk Bar, Portland · 2
- Amnesia, San Francisco · 2
Top cities
- Portland, OR · 17
- San Francisco, CA · 4
- Seattle, WA · 2
- San Diego, CA · 1
- Ashland · 1
Often on the bill with: Kyle Morton, Meernaa, Radiation City, And And And, Heatwarmer, New Move, 100 Watt Mind, 1939 Ensemble
Counted from the shows BandSlate holds; missing shows are not counted.
Releases
13 releases, 2011–2020Not Gonna Lie
2020 · Single
Principle of Loving
2019 · Single
Say It
2018 · Album
Mounted on the Wall
2017 · Single
Comfort in Doubt
2016 · Album
Mt. Portland
2016
Comfort In Doubt
2014
Friends And Friends Of Friends Volume 7
2014
No Vengeance
2013 · Album
PDX Pop Now! 2013
2013
Live From Banana Stand Vol. 2
2013
Draw This Bitter Blood
2011 · Ep
Friends + Friends Of Friends Vol 12
Lineup
- Sam Adams
- Lisa Adams
- Micah Hummel
- Chris Hermsen
Airplay
Photos, art and posters
Sources & corrections
| Source | Used for |
|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | Artist facts |
| Sama Dams on Last.fm | Artist facts |
| Sama Dams on Discogs | Artist facts |
| KEXP | Airplay |
| Songkick | Show history, Show posters |
| bandslate-pipeline | Show history |
| venue calendar | Show history |
| website | Photos |
| Discogs | Credited on the record; no item on this page cites it |
| Last.fm | Credited on the record; no item on this page cites it |
This is a partial record of publicly documented activity. Missing shows, releases or members do not mean there are none. It does not confirm availability for booking.