{"id":3742,"date":"2025-07-17T17:04:22","date_gmt":"2025-07-17T17:04:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/alabama-shakes-shake-rattle-and-rock-n-roll-again\/"},"modified":"2025-07-17T17:04:22","modified_gmt":"2025-07-17T17:04:22","slug":"alabama-shakes-shake-rattle-and-rock-n-roll-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/alabama-shakes-shake-rattle-and-rock-n-roll-again\/","title":{"rendered":"Alabama Shakes Shake, Rattle and Rock \u2018N Roll Again"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/07\/lead%40thenicklanglois220.jpg\" width=\"\" height=\"\" alt=\"The Alabama Shakes reunite after an eight-year hiatus at Chicago\u2019s Salt Shed Fairgrounds. (Credit: @jadeehlers247)\"><\/figure>\n<p>After eight long years, Alabama Shakes have officially reunited, and it feels (and sounds) so good to see the trio back in their element, plugged in and lashing out with soulful fury. On July 15, they launched their first tour since 2017 with a sold-out show at Chicago\u2019s Salt Shed Fairgrounds that felt so natural it was like no time had passed at all.<\/p>\n<p>Across 90 minutes, the wide-ranging set was intimately packed with many of their hit staples, live debuts of new music, and a few moments of pontificating from the ever-enigmatic frontwoman Brittany Howard that made you respect her even more than you possibly thought you could. Most vocal was the brand-new track \u201cAmerican Dream\u201d in which Howard takes on the White House, gun violence, and body autonomy set to a bold refrain of \u201ckeep dreaming.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>More from Spin:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.spin.com\/2025\/07\/tame-impala-new-album-currents-anniversary\/\">Tame Impala Nearing Completion Of New Album?<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.spin.com\/2025\/07\/nine-inch-nails-tron-ares-single\/\">Nine Inch Nails Roar Ahead With First \u2018TRON: Ares\u2019 Single<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.spin.com\/2025\/07\/kaytranada-justice-make-fall-touring-team\/\">Kaytranada, Justice Make Fall Touring Team<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/07\/%40thenicklanglois276.jpg\" alt=\"(Credit: @thenicklanglois276)\" class=\"wp-image-468886\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Credit: @thenicklanglois276)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Along with the debut of a second freshly baked track \u201cAnother Life\u201d\u2014a heartbreaker about saying goodbye that may be one of their most gut-wrenching yet\u2014the new material hints at a powerful direction for the act. One that carries the same explosive energy the small-town band first rolled in on in 2012 as their debut album <em>Boys &amp; Girls <\/em>became the year\u2019s unexpected record-scratch moment. Of course, that trajectory continued with <em>Sound &amp; Color <\/em>in 2015, an album that was celebrated with 10 of the 12 tracks in the setlist to honor the 10th anniversary this year.<\/p>\n<p>However, Alabama Shakes\u2019 intent was not just about legacy or nostalgia but reintroducing the foundation to keep building upon it. In February, press materials announcing the reunion tour quoted Howard as saying the band (also featuring the inimitable backbone, guitarist Heath Fogg and bassist Zac Cockrell) had no intention of it being a sole \u201clook back.\u201d Rather, she said, \u201cWe wanted it to be as much about the future as the past.\u201d There were clear indications of this mindset at the Chicago kickoff. The decorated stage looked like a wild jungle with towering rows of plants behind the band and ivy wrapped around mic stands, alluding to a sense of new growth and life.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/07\/%40veesanders274.jpg\" alt=\"(Credit: @veesanders 2025)\" class=\"wp-image-468884\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Credit: @veesanders 2025)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The band\u2019s updated personnel also hinted at this new phase. In 2021, long-time drummer Steve Johnson was let go from the Shakes after very serious criminal allegations came to light (though those charges were later dismissed); in his place now is Noah Bond, a solid player who previously logged time with Cut Worms, John Andrews &amp; The Yawns, Widowspeak, Doug Tuttle and others. Adding to the band\u2019s wall of sound setup were three backup singers (who also doubled as shimmy and shake dancers for a few numbers) as well as a handful of additional musicians including Ben Tanner and Howard\u2019s \u201ccousin Paul\u201d Horton on keys.<\/p>\n<p>Full as the stage was with exemplary players, though, it was hard not to zero in on Howard, whose dynamic presence and powerhouse vocals consistently command attention. In the interim years during Alabama Shakes\u2019 long hiatus, Howard launched a successful solo career netting the incredible albums <em>Jaime <\/em>and <em>What Now<\/em> and several tours that have only edified her distinctive showmanship that\u2019s equally effortless and formidable. As she howled out that distinctive screech to start \u201cDon\u2019t Wanna Fight,\u201d you could feel it in the pit of your soul. Her high heavens riffing on \u201cGimme All Your Love\u201d was so magnetic even she had to hunch over the guitar to maintain composure. Howard\u2019s strong emotional delivery on \u201cThis Feeling\u201d was another standout moment. \u201cIt feels kind of surreal to play this one,\u201d she opened up with the crowd. \u201cA long time ago, I wrote this song and it was because I saw for the first time that my life could change and my dreams could come true and I could be who I wanted to be and be celebrated.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The sentiment was met with a wild response from an engaged crowd that stayed in lockstep with the band all night, singing along every lyric and cheering for each song from the first guitar pluckings. \u201cI couldn\u2019t ask for a better crowd to do our first night back, I love hearing you all sing the words back,\u201d Howard said. \u201cThis night has been good for my heart and soul.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/07\/%40jadeehlers270.jpg\" alt=\"(Credit: @jadeehlers270)\" class=\"wp-image-468890\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Credit: @jadeehlers270)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>As the band wrapped with the uplifting \u201cAlways Alright,\u201d Howard had one more message to impart. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of crazy shit going on every day \u2026 but if it feels like things are getting out of control and it makes you feel small and you don\u2019t know where to look for guidance \u2026 remember we got each other. \u2026 We can go on and do good things in this world. \u2026 All I gotta say is it\u2019s gonna be alright.\u201d In that moment, you couldn\u2019t help but believe her.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><strong>Set List<\/strong><br \/>Intro<br \/>Future People<br \/>Don\u2019t Wanna Fight<br \/>I Ain\u2019t the Same<br \/>I Found You<br \/>Guess Who<br \/>Hang Loose<br \/>Hold On<br \/>This Feeling<br \/>Dunes<br \/>Another Life (unreleased)<br \/>Gimme All Your Love<br \/>Over My Head<br \/>Rise to the Sun<br \/>Shoegaze<br \/>Drive By Baby<br \/>Be Mine<br \/>American Dream (unreleased)<br \/>Gemini<\/p>\n<p><strong>Encore:<\/strong><br \/>Sound &amp; Color<br \/>Someday<br \/>Always Alright<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spin.com\/2021\/07\/the-greatest-rock-stars-of-all-time\/?utm_source=yahoo&amp;utm_medium=bottomlink&amp;utm_campaign=yahoolink\">click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After eight long years, Alabama Shakes have officially reunited, and it feels (and sounds) so good to see the trio back in their element, plugged in and lashing out with&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2711,31,435,24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3742","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-alabama-shakes","category-features","category-live-reviews","category-pushly"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3742","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3742"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3742\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3742"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3742"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3742"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}