Alabama Shakes Makes Surprise Return with First Performance in Over Seven Years

Alabama Shakes Reunite

Alabama Shakes came together for the first time in over seven years for a surprise concert in their hometown of Alabama.

• READ MORE: Brittany Howard On How Her Late Sister Jaime Inspired Her To Create A Powerful Solo Album: 'I Feel Like We Did It Together'

The Grammy Award-winning band captivated audiences during the Tuscaloosa Get Up 3 benefit concert at the Bama Theater in Tuscaloosa, Alabama last night (December 18).

Frontwoman’s Surprise Performance

Initially set to perform solo, frontwoman Brittany Howard decided to surprise attendees by inviting her Alabama Shakes bandmates Zack Cockrell, Heath Fogg, and Ben Tanner to join her on stage.

Howard began with an acoustic rendition of her song “Short And Sweet” before expressing her gratitude to the crowd, saying, “Thank you all so much. I’ll be right back, I forgot my electric guitar.” She momentarily stepped off stage and reappeared with her guitar, along with the rest of the Alabama Shakes.

“If there's any place we're going to get together again, it's Tuscaloosa,” she stated to the audience (according to AL.com).

The band proceeded to perform “Hang Loose” and delivered a nine-song setlist including tracks like “Shoegaze,” “Be Mine,” “This Feeling,” and more. Check out clips from the delightful evening below, as well as the full setlist.

Alabama Shakes never officially disbanded, but until last night they hadn't performed live since the 2017 Oshiga Music Festival. That's exactly the moment they took the stage, marking what will hopefully be the beginning of many more great performances, in a powerful… pic.twitter.com/2KcBIvXnFN

— Chewcipher on BlueSky & Threads (@Chewcipher) December 19, 2024

Brittany Howard and Alabama Shakes made a surprise reunion at the Get Up 3 concert in Tuscaloosa on Wednesday night! pic.twitter.com/c4Q27uAO8U

— AL.com (@aldotcom) December 19, 2024

My 2024 bingo card didn't include the Alabama Shakes reunion in Tuscaloosa, but what a treat 🙌🎸 pic.twitter.com/cnZVGoBAVh

— Travis Turner 🐈‍⬛ (@TravisTurnerII) December 19, 2024

Setlist Highlights:

“Keep Loose”
“Shoegaze”
'Be Mine'
'Joe'
“This Feeling”
“Give Me All Your Love”
'Wait'
“I'm Not The Same Anymore”
“Always Ok”

Alabama Shakes previously performed at the last two Tuscaloosa Get Up benefits in 2012 and 2013. This concert marked their first performance together since August 2017, when they took the stage at the Osheaga Festival before entering an indefinite hiatus.

Since then, Howard has concentrated on her solo career, releasing her debut album “Jamie” in 2019 and her most recent album “What Now” in 2024. Discussing her solo journey with NME, Howard mentioned, “I've never tried to make my own record, but I always record demos on my own. I just wanted to do something for once where I am the conductor, so to speak.”

Released earlier this year, “What Now” garnered a four-star review from NME, which stated, “(The album) is filled with emotional malaise and confusion, but if anyone has answers about how to navigate our own journeys, you should turn to Howard.”

Earlier this summer, she also supported Hozier on his UK tour and embarked on a solo North American tour earlier this year.