Alabama Shakes in Cincinnati

About Alabama Shakes

Alabama Shakes are a four-piece from Athens, Alabama that somehow managed to make soul music feel urgent and unfinished in the best way possible. Brittany Howard's voice is the thing that stops you mid-conversation—it's got this raw, searching quality that sounds like it's being pulled from somewhere deep. The band broke through around 2012 with Boys & Girls, an album that felt genuinely different in a landscape of carefully calibrated indie rock. Hold On became their crossover moment, a song so fundamentally right that it still sounds fresh. Their follow-up Sound & Color showed real growth, with Howard's voice getting stranger and more confident at once. What makes them matter is that they never sound like they're performing soul music so much as living in it. There's always something slightly off-balance about their arrangements, a willingness to let songs breathe unevenly. They've never chased trends or tried to be cooler than they are. Just four people from Alabama making music that feels true.

They command a room with zero showmanship. Howard stands still mostly, lets her voice do the talking while the band locks into grooves that get tighter as the set goes on. Crowds quiet down to listen. When they hit the big ones, people lose it quietly—no screaming, just this palpable relief.

Known for Hold On, Don't Wanna Fight, Sound & Color, Girls in Alabama, Be Mine

Alabama Shakes + Cincinnati

Alabama Shakes have a history in Cincinnati that goes back to the early days of their rise. They played MOTR Pub back in 2011, when they were still building their following before becoming one of the decade's most vital soul-rock acts. It's been a minute since they've been through town.

Alabama Shakes in Cincinnati News

• Cincy's 2026 concert calendar is filling up fast. 12 new shows of note Cincinnati Enquirer · Jan 30, 2026
• Alabama Shakes Plot Shows with Tedeschi Trucks Band and Nathaniel Rateliff Jambands · Jan 26, 2026
• Alabama Shakes Add May & August 2026 Tour Dates JamBase · Jan 23, 2026
• Alabama Shakes and Tedeschi Trucks Band @ Riverbend Music Center! QFM96 · Jan 23, 2026
• Tedeschi Trucks Band Setlist: Get Ready for Future Soul 2026 Tour Ticketmaster Blog · Jan 23, 2026

Live Music in Cincinnati

Cincinnati's soul and R&B roots run deep, from the classic Stax era through contemporary artists carrying that torch. The city's blues and rock tradition aligns well with Alabama Shakes's throwback approach—they're operating in the same vein as the city's best acts, pulling from the same well of American music that's always flowed through here. MOTR Pub and similar venues have long been where that kind of honest, unfussy music finds its audience.

Cincinnati road trip to see Alabama Shakes?

Stay in Hyde Park, Cincinnati's most elegant neighborhood, with tree-lined streets and restored Victorian homes. Dinner at The Eagle—a fine dining spot that takes Southern cooking seriously—pairs well with Stapleton's sensibility. Spend your afternoon at the Cincinnati Art Museum or walking the grounds at Spring Grove Cemetery, one of America's most beautiful cemeteries. Both offer quiet reflection before heading to the show. If you have time, catch the view from Skyline Chili's main location; the city panorama is worth the detour, even if the food is divisive.