Alabama Shakes Open Minneapolis Two-Night Run With New Material

Alabama Shakes opened the first of their two nights at Surly Brewing Festival Field in Minneapolis on Friday, August 28, with something the crowd had never heard them play live before.

The band began with “Tea Time,” the opening track from I Must Be Dreaming, which had been released earlier that same day. It was an interesting choice for a band returning to Minneapolis after more than a decade away from releasing a new album. Instead of leading with one of their better-known songs, they gave the audience the newest piece of the Alabama Shakes story right away.

The song settled into the band's more atmospheric side, with Brittany Howard's vocals sitting over a slower, spacious arrangement. There was a noticeable difference between the energy coming from the crowd and the way the band carried itself onstage. The audience was ready to move, while the band seemed content to let the music breathe.

That balance didn't last long.

The second song, “Future People,” was stopped abruptly when Howard noticed something was happening in the crowd. The band paused for roughly five minutes while the situation was handled and made sure everyone was safe before continuing the song. It was a reminder that even at a large outdoor show, the people in the audience come first. Once things were under control, the band picked the song back up and continued with the same focus as before.

From there, the set moved between the new album and songs that had established Alabama Shakes as one of the more distinctive bands of the 2010s. “I Feel Hope Coming” and “Garden” showed how naturally the new material fit alongside older songs, while “Hang Loose,” “Hold On,” “Sound & Color” and “Don't Wanna Fight” brought some of the biggest reactions of the night.

Howard remains the center of the band's sound without needing to constantly demand attention. Her voice can shift from restrained and soulful to powerful without feeling forced, and guitarist Heath Fogg and bassist Zac Cockrell provide a steady foundation underneath it. The overall sound had a dreamy quality at times, but the band could turn it up when a song called for it.

The Minneapolis crowd was more than willing to meet them there. There was plenty of movement throughout the field, especially when the familiar songs started rolling out. After spending years away from the band, fans seemed to appreciate both sides of the set the songs they had been waiting years to hear again and the new material that gives the group somewhere else to go.

Hannah Cohen opened the night with a set that offered a quieter introduction to the evening. Her angelic vocal style gave the performance a relaxed feel, while her confidence and swagger kept it from becoming too subdued. It was a good fit for a night that would eventually move between softer, atmospheric moments and the heavier side of Alabama Shakes.

By the time Alabama Shakes reached the end of the set, there was little doubt that the audience had been waiting for this return. “American Dream” and “Gimme All Your Love” helped build the final stretch before the band closed with “Always Alright.”

After more than a decade between Alabama Shakes albums, the first night in Minneapolis wasn't simply a trip through the band's past. The older songs were still there, but the set made room for a band that sounds interested in where it can go next.