Photos By: Summer Luu
By: Melissa Murray
“We’ve grown a lot, learned a lot about music, listened and though about a lot of things – about being minimal and tasteful, keeping it classy. After that decision to start over, with a clean slate, it was easy. We could just do what we wanted to do.” – Alabama Shakes
Doing what they wanted to do was exactly what Alabama Shakes did last week at San Diego State’s Open Air Theatre. Let me paint you a picture of what went down that night. Arbor trees bordered the amphitheater. The time was around dusk. It was a warm night, let me tell you. Let’s get to the set list:
- Honestly…. I am not entirely sure. I believe it was “Future People” almost positive, I was just getting to my seat, so I apologize.
- Get your hips swaying…. “Always Alright”
- “Dunes” Awwww Yeah! Everyone is feelin’ it! Lots of fog and blue lights here.
- Don’t worry…. sweet baby!!! Haaaaaaang looooose. The riff in this song is too good not to stand up and pretend like you are Heath Fogg rippin’ on that guitar.
- My favorite song…maybe ever… “Rise To The Sun”. It just makes you want to slow dance with someone, anyone!
- I forgot to mention, along with the band, there were three backup dancers/singers. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the movie Dreamgirls with Beyoncé, but this is exactly what the backup dancers were like. Swayin’ and snappin’ their fingers while singing sweet melodies. The song was “Guess Who”. Can you see it now?
- Brittany Howard, the lead singer, started this song off with a few words. “This isn’t a sad song. It’s a life lesson.” This was a crowd favorite. Phones out! Picture time for “Heartbreaker”. How were we supposed to know???
- Every show needs a slow song. “I Still Ain’t Got What I Want”
- This song was dedicated to Ricky: “Miss You”
- This song…everyone’s stoke meter was off the charts! You can feel it. “SHOEGAZE”
- Everyone was asked to rise for this song. And a 5…. 6….7….8 “The Greatest”
- At this very moment, I thought to myself…Can this puhhhhlease never end? “Gimmmmmme All Your Love” Not only am I going crazy at this point, but everyone around me is loosing it. The entire band was jamming together as if they were a high school garage band head-banging at their first big hit.
- “This Feeling” Enough Said.
- This is the part of the show where everyone takes a sip of water. “Be Mine”
- My seat was in the lower left side of the amphitheater. Not sure why, but I decided to look up at the crowd and it was a sea of people. Not one seat was empty. “I Ain’t The Same”
- Someone yells….”I love you, Britt” she replies… “There sure is a lot of you, I appreciate that” and BOOM “Don’t Wanna Fight” clearly a lot of people know this song.
- A sit down song comes along. Brittany plays guitar behind her back for “Gemini”. The band leaves the stage.
- Encore! “Sound and Color”
- “You Ain’t Alone”
- Brittany talks to the crowd saying she’s been going through some things. “All things must come to an end” the last song of their set was “Over My Head” which is also the last song of their most recent album “Sound and Color”.