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Alabama Shakes, Live In Concert: SXSW 2012

By Stephen Thompson
Published March 15, 2012 at 2:49 AM EDT

A staple of "Bands To Watch" lists far and wide, Alabama Shakes sure didn't shrink under the open Texas skies during NPR Music's 2012 SXSW showcase at Stubb's on Wednesday night. Armed with a bright new batch of songs from the forthcoming Boys & Girls — not to mention booming, shout-along standbys like "Hold On" — lead singer Brittany Howard seemed to feed off a crowd 2,000 strong and packed to the exits. Commanding the spotlight with a generous set worthy of a headliner, Alabama Shakes ought to get used to playing for this many people in years to come.

Soul music comes in countless iterations, from retro revivalism to smooth seduction; the musicians of Alabama Shakes focus mostly on the genre's gritty, sinewy side. The group (once known as The Shakes) enjoyed an auspicious breakthrough with a self-titled EP last year. But this is a full, tight, ridiculously proficient band with remarkable live chemistry. As polished and accomplished as Alabama Shakes' members sound in the studio, the stage is where these songs sizzle, seethe and slam.

Set List

  • "Hang Loose"

  • "I Ain't the Same"

  • "Hold On"

  • "I Found You"

  • "Always Alright"

  • "Boys & Girls"

  • "Be Mine"

  • "Rise to the Sun"

  • "You Ain't Alone"

  • "Heavy Chevy"

  • "On Your Way"

  • "Heat Lightning"

    • Credits

    Producers: Amy Schriefer, Robin Hilton; Video by: XI Media; Audio Engineer: Kevin Wait

    Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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    Music News from NPR
    Stephen Thompson
    Stephen Thompson is a writer, editor and reviewer for NPR Music, where he speaks into any microphone that will have him and appears as a frequent panelist on All Songs Considered. Since 2010, Thompson has been a fixture on the NPR roundtable podcast Pop Culture Happy Hour, which he created and developed with NPR correspondent Linda Holmes. In 2008, he and Bob Boilen created the NPR Music video series Tiny Desk Concerts, in which musicians perform at Boilen's desk. (To be more specific, Thompson had the idea, which took seconds, while Boilen created the series, which took years. Thompson will insist upon equal billing until the day he dies.)
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