Alabama Shakes is dusting itself off and bringing a new tour to the Tampa Bay area this spring.
The band fronted by Brittany Howard exploded onto the scene with its 2012 debut album Boys and Girls, immediately garnering both critical and public acclaim for a rhythmic blend of reverb-heavy guitar and haunting, emotional vocals.
From its formation at the end of members’ high school years in 2009, it wasn’t long before the spacey, bluesy band was sharing stage time with Jack White and The Kings of Leon. But success at such a young age made guitarist and vocalist Howard ponder the path she was speeding down.
Less than three years after Alabama Shakes’ 2015 triple-grammy-winning second album, Sound and Color, Howard decided to step away from the band. She followed with a more dance-heavy solo album in 2019, still retaining her signature cosmic-soul sound.
At the end of 2024, Brittany Howard played a solo-billed show in Nashville, briefly popping off stage for a guitar change only to return with the members of Alabama Shakes. The surprise reunion sparked plenty of speculation, much of which proved to come true.
After nearly a decade, the band is back with a new single (“Another Life”), a new tour, and hopefully much more to come.
Having played St. Petersburg’s Jannus live in 2013 and Ybor City’s Cuban Club in 2016, Alabama Shakes is rounding out their Tampa Bay bookings with a show at Clearwater’s BayCare Sound on Thursday in April.
Alabama songwriter Lamont Landers opens the show.
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This article appears in Feb. 26 – Mar. 04, 2026.