Earlier this year, we announced that semi-local breakout blues rockers Alabama Shakes were set to play Nashville for the first time in a couple years, tonight, April 21 at Ascend Amphitheater with buzzworthy up and comer Dylan LeBlanc. With the release of their triumphant sophomore LP still fresh, doubly so thanks to recent Grammy wins, it’s no surprise that the group managed to sell this show out quickly. However, if you procrastinated, you’re in luck, as a handful of last minute tickets have been released right here! Grab ’em while they last, and read on for details!
ALABAMA SHAKES
Still riding high on the success of their Grammy award winning 2015 sophomore album Sound & Color, local(ish) southern blues rockers Alabama Shakes are prepping to kick of their spring tour with a performance right here in Nashville, which, not counting regional festival dates or a Grand Ole Opry outing, is their first Music City show in quite awhile. Formed in 2009 in, duh, Alabama (Athens to be exact, between Huntsville and the Muscle Shoals area), the Shakes’ career really exploded after the release of their 2012 debut Boys & Girls, and its inescapable breakout lead single “Hold On.”
After a few early years of playing dives, the young band began trekking to Nashville to record at Andrija Tokic’s Bomb Shelter studio, where they independently crafted their first LP. As a few tracks began find their way online, the group soon landed a record deal, and, before long, the album simply spread like a wildfire, earning Grammy nods (and a performance at the 2013 awards) and going on to achieve Gold certification. By the time the Shakes retreated to record their Grammy winning second album, this time with producer Blake Mills at Nashville’s Sound Emporium, they had already become certifiable superstars, beloved by critics, big enough to headline festivals, and staples of radio and television. Anchored by the unbelievable talent of frontwoman Brittany Howard, the Alabama Shakes are, simply, one of the best bands making music today.
DYLAN LEBLANC
At just 26 years old, Shreveport, LA native Dylan LeBlanc has already managed to pack in more life experience and career turns than many artists have in a lifetime. Drawn to music at a young age, LeBlanc, whose set opening for George Ezra last fall at The Ryman we absolutely raved about, stepped out as a soulful, alt-country and folk-infused solo artist, finding widespread acclaim from his first two albums before substance abuse and self-doubt momentarily put his career on hold. After retreating to Muscle Shoals, AL, Dylan found guidance and inspiration from producer/songwriters Ben Tanner (who tours with Alabama Shakes) and John Paul White (formerly of The Civil Wars), who helped shape his most personal, focused album to date and first in four years, Cautionary Tale. Having shared the stage with acts like The Civil Wars, First Aid Kit, Lucinda Williams, and Bruce Springsteen, LeBlanc is, and for awhile has been, on the path to becoming one of this generation’s greatest songwriters, and now that he’s back on track, 2016 feels like an unstoppable year.
Alabama Shakes and Dylan LeBlanc will perform tonight, April 21 at Ascend Amphitheater. The show is all ages, begins at 8 p.m. (doors at 6:30 p.m.), and tickets are available for $36-56.
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