Saturday Sounds: Alabama Shakes

Alabama Shakes, Tennessee Theatre, March 2015
Alabama Shakes, Tennessee Theatre, March 2015

Last March I photographed Alabama Shakes at their Tennessee Theatre show. Like every venue, it has its own quirks when taking photographs and lighting impacts photographs tremendously – sometimes helpfully, sometimes not. Scale also impacts shooting a show and the Tennessee is large relative to the venues I’ve typically shot.

Alabama Shakes, Tennessee Theatre, March 2015
Alabama Shakes, Tennessee Theatre, March 2015
Alabama Shakes, Tennessee Theatre, March 2015
Alabama Shakes, Tennessee Theatre, March 2015
Alabama Shakes, Tennessee Theatre, March 2015
Alabama Shakes, Tennessee Theatre, March 2015

All that to say, this is a set of photographs in which I was learning. A number of them were blown out – the light so intense on lead vocalist Brittany Howard that the rest of the band disappeared into darkness while her image exploded. Hopefully the images I take now are better than these, but I still caught a few in this collection when the light was kind.

Alabama Shakes, Tennessee Theatre, March 2015
Alabama Shakes, Tennessee Theatre, March 2015
Alabama Shakes, Tennessee Theatre, March 2015
Alabama Shakes, Tennessee Theatre, March 2015
Alabama Shakes, Tennessee Theatre, March 2015
Alabama Shakes, Tennessee Theatre, March 2015

The show was absolutely stellar. Sound perfect, band spot-on and, of course, the lead vocalist is a force of nature. Part rock, part pop, part funky R&B, the band is all soul. There’s no way to avoid thinking of Sister Rosetta Tharpe who has to be a model for Brittany. While Sister Rosetta Tharpe stayed closer to the confines of church-based blues music, Alabama Shakes veers toward the more secular, but clearly there is a thread. And they both rock.

Alabama Shakes, Tennessee Theatre, March 2015
Alabama Shakes, Tennessee Theatre, March 2015
Alabama Shakes, Tennessee Theatre, March 2015
Alabama Shakes, Tennessee Theatre, March 2015
Alabama Shakes, Tennessee Theatre, March 2015
Alabama Shakes, Tennessee Theatre, March 2015
Alabama Shakes, Tennessee Theatre, March 2015
Alabama Shakes, Tennessee Theatre, March 2015

I’m posting a few photographs here and I’ll put more up later on the Inside of Knoxville Facebook Page. I’m also posting a couple of videos below – one of Alabama Shakes and another of Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Clearly two artists with whom you should be familiar. Enjoy.