Alabama Shakes at The Independent

On the advice of my friend Robert Mozaic, who always seems to know about good music before everybody else, i discovered Alabama Shakes just in time for their sold-out show at The Independent in San Francisco. Luckily, another friend was able to secure me a ticket, and the three of us went together to check it out.

Wow. This band is absolutely incredible.

The lead singer – Brittany – where to begin? So much soul. So much class. Apparently she taught herself how to sing and play guitar, as she explained to the rapt audience between songs, and so much the better for us, it seemed. She was incredibly at home on the stage, pouring the entirety of her essence into a hurricane-strength performance.

The band as a whole synchronized perfectly to radiate a deep, sincere soulfulness that made the audience feel as if we were just gathered in a friend’s backyard for the night, watching a show on somebody’s back porch. For a few hours, i truly missed the Deep South.

At the end of the show, the drummer tossed his broken sticks out into the crowd, and i caught one. Even though i’ve been working in the music industry for over ten years now, i still got a little thrill at being able to take home a tangible souvenir from such a monumental musical experience. Especially because i was far too busy listening to take any decent photos.