Southern blues-rockers Alabama Shakes by no means formally broke up, however earlier than final evening, they hadn’t performed a reside present since Montreal’s Osheaga Pageant in 2017. Frontwoman Brittany Howard launched her massively acclaimed solo debut Jaime in 2019, and he or she adopted it up with What Now earlier this yr. She’s reportedly beginning up a brand new undertaking, a hardcore punk band referred to as Kumite, and so they’ll make their reside debut in Nashville subsequent month. However she hasn’t forgotten the band that made her well-known within the first place. On Wednesday evening, Alabama Shakes reunited of their residence state for a shock profit set, their first efficiency in additional than seven years.
Al.com studies that the Alabama Shakes reunion went down final evening at Tuscaloosa’s Bama Theatre. The event was the profit present Tuscaloosa Get Up 3. Alabama Shakes performed the earlier two Get Up advantages, and all three of them have been organized by Tuscaloosa venue cofounder Bo Hicks. Proceeds from final evening’s present profit Hicks’ Druid Metropolis Brewing and its efforts to placed on reside exhibits. The night featured a variety of Alabama musicians, together with the Drive-By Truckers’ Mike Cooley. On the finish of the night, Brittany Howard performed a brief solo-acoustic set, after which she instructed the group, “I forgot my electrical guitar,” earlier than returning to the stage with the remainder of her previous band.
Final evening, Alabama Shakes’ lineup included everybody besides drummer Steve Johnson, who was arrested on youngster abuse prices in 2021. These prices have been later dismissed, however Johnson pleaded responsible to violating a home violence safety order in 2020.
Brittany Howard instructed the group, “If there’s one place we’re gonna get again collectively, it’s gonna be Tuscaloosa, and it’s gonna be Bo.” They performed a nine-song set. Watch a few movies beneath.
@al.comnews Brittany Howard and the Alabama Shakes reunited at a present in Tuscaloosa. The group has been on hiatus since 2018. The gang on the Get Up 3 live performance at Bama Theater in Tuscaloosa noticed the shock reunion late Wednesday evening. #alabamashakes #brittanyhoward #musictok #reunion unique sound – AL.com
Everyone is on their toes for THE ALABAMA SHAKES on the Bama Theatre pic.twitter.com/9D85T9YPaZ
— Ryan Phillips (@JournoRyan) December 19, 2024