Watch Alabama Shakes reunite at surprise first show in over seven years

Alabama Shakes have reunited for the first time in over seven years at a surprise show in their native Alabama.

The three-time Grammy-Award-winning band surprised attendees during the Tuscaloosa Get Up 3 benefit concert at the Bama Theatre in Tuscaloosa, Alabama last night (December 18).

Frontwoman Brittany Howard was actually slated to perform at the gig as a solo act but decided to surprise guests by inviting her Alabama Shakes bandmates – Zac Cockrell, Heath Fogg, and Ben Tanner – to the stage.

Howard first performed a solo acoustic rendition of her track ‘Short And Sweet’ before telling the crowd: “Thank you so much, everybody. I’ll be right back, I forgot my electric guitar.” She then walked off stage, appearing moments later with her guitar as well as the rest of Alabama Shakes.

“If there’s one place we’re gonna get back together, it’s gonna be Tuscaloosa,” Howard told the audience (as per AL.com).

From there, the band jumped into their track ‘Hang Loose’ and performed a nine-song setlist comprised of the likes of ‘Shoegaze’, ‘Be Mine’, ‘This Feeling’ and more. Check out clips from the night below as well as the full setlist.

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

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

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

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

Didn’t have the Alabama Shakes reuniting live in Tuscaloosa on my 2024 bingo card but what a treat pic.twitter.com/cnZVGoBAVh

— Travis Turner (@TravisTurnerII) December 19, 2024

Alabama Shakes played:

‘Hang Loose’
‘Shoegaze’
‘Be Mine’
‘Joe’
‘This Feeling’
‘Gimme All Your Love’
‘Hold On’
‘I Ain’t the Same’
‘Always Alright’

Alabama Shakes previously played at the last two Tuscaloosa Get Up benefits back in 2012 and 2013 respectively. This performance marked the first time the band had performed together since August 2017 when they played at the Osheaga Festival before going on an indefinite hiatus.

In the time since, Howard has focused on her solo work, releasing her debut album ‘Jamie’ back in 2019 and her recent follow-up, 2024’s ‘What Now’. Speaking to NME about embarking on her solo career, Howard shared: “I’ve never tried making my own record but I always do my demos on my own. I was just wanting to do something for once where I am, so to speak, the conductor.”

Earlier this year, she released ‘What Now‘. In a four-star review of the LP, NME shared: “[The album] is informed by emotional malaise and confusion, but if anyone has the answers on how to navigate our own journeys, you’d do well to turn to Howard.”

She also joined Hozier as opening support on his UK tour earlier this summer and embarked on a North American solo tour earlier this year.