On Tuesday, blues-rock band Alabama Shakes took the stage at the Capital City Amphitheater in Cascades Park (with special guest Corrine Bailey Rae) and played in front of a sold-out crowd.
Courtesy: Jennie Gregory
If you’ve never heard of Alabama Shakes, here’s a little bit about them: The band was formed in Athens, Alabama in 2009 and consists of lead singer and guitarist Brittany Howard, guitarist Heath Fogg, bassist Zac Cockrell and drummer Steve Johnson. They rose to fame in the early 2010s with their distinctive and soulful roots/rock sound.
Before making it big, they toured and performed at bars and clubs around the Southeast for two years. They recorded their debut album, Boys & Girls, in Nashville while they were still unsigned. The album led to online fame, which got them signed by ATO Records. In 2015, their second record titled Sound & Color was released and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.
The debut Boys & Girls earned the group three Grammy nominations, including a nod for Best New Artist. The gold-certified album’s breakthrough paved the way for Alabama Shakes to become one of the most celebrated live acts in the world, as they delivered unforgettable performances everywhere such as festivals like Bonnaroo and Glastonbury.
Courtesy: Zumic
Alabama Shakes was most recently recognized with three Grammy Awards this year, including Best Alternative Music Album for Sound & Color, and Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song for “Don’t Wanna Fight.” They were also nominated for Album of the Year. The album’s 12 songs reveal a band honed by years on the road, and drawing from a wide range of influences. According to Pitchfork, Sound & Color is not an electronic record, but it is “strange and mystical and unexpected.” The bluesy groove of “Shoegaze” or the garage-rock freak-out on “The Greatest” give way to the psychedelic space jam “Gemini.”
Courtesy: Tallahassee Democrat
It was no surprise that they would give an amazing performance this past Tuesday. They played songs from their Grammy-winning album Sound & Color including “Hold On,” Guess Who,” Future People,” and “Gimme All Your Love.” Even with the pouring rain during the opening act, the crowd didn’t seem to mind and enjoyed every second of it.
“Cascades really needs to host more shows there because it really is such a fun and beautiful venue. They had food trucks and everyone was on their cute little blankets,” said Florida State junior, Jennie Gregory. Brittany Howard’s voice is a force to be reckoned with and her raw emotion with her performance really spoke to everyone in the show and made the live performance a truly special experience. According to Jennie, “IT WAS AWESOME.”
Courtesy: Tallahassee Democrat