By Avery Walkoviak — Film Director
Whether or not you enjoy music, if you have a heart and a soul, it is necessary that you listen to Alabama Shakes.
I can attest that watching them live completely rewired my brain chemistry.
Brittany Howard, the frontwoman for the band, brings deep, powerhouse vocals to the Southern blues rock band. Starting in 2012 with their debut album, Boys & Girls, the band climbed the alternative rock charts with its hit song “Hold On.”
In 2013, Alabama Shakes was nominated for Best New Artist and Best Rock Performance at the Grammys. The band followed it up in 2015 with Sound & Color. In 2016, Alabama Shakes took home three wins from four Grammy nominations: Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song for “Don’t Wanna Fight,” and Best Alternative Music Album for Sound & Color.
Recently, Howard co-wrote and co-recorded the song “Pale, Pale Moon” for the Academy Award-winning movie Sinners and co-performed the Oscar-nominated track “I Lied to You” at the 2026 Academy Awards.
Aside from all the accomplishments and awards dedicated to this talented woman and band, seeing Howard perform live was utterly life-changing.
Howard has stood as a dedicated activist against hatred and bigotry, especially as an LGBTQ+ woman of color, and writes to promote love and hope across divisions. This is evident not only in her lyrics, but in her soulful vocals and sound. Her music has a way of transcending the human psyche and bringing people together in a way that makes you forget you’re even breathing.
During the live performance of “Sound & Color,” the band used light, delicate sounds that blended with Howard’s robust vocals, creating a gospel sound that brought jaw-dropping energy to the crowd. I saw people tearing up, screaming and fully immersing themselves in the sound. People were united by a common love for the art being performed in front of them.
The dynamic, heavy vocals in “Gimme All Your Love,” paired with the gritty guitar, transported me into another dimension.
Howard’s message of hope and peace rang especially true through songs like “Garden,” which talks about treating people with love and respect, and “I Feel Hope Coming.” During both performances, Howard made sure everyone knew love was the dominant force.
For the hour and a half that Alabama Shakes performed, you could tangibly feel the love and positive energy piercing through your soul. It filled you with joy and love for the people around you experiencing it as well.
I can confidently say that, as a music festival and live music connoisseur, Alabama Shakes and Brittany Howard put on the best live show I have ever seen.
Leave a Reply