A Heartfelt Return: Alabama Shakes Lights Up the Minnesota Yacht Club Festival

Picture this: It’s a balmy July evening in 2025, the kind where the Mississippi River sparkles like it’s in on the secret, and Harriet Island is alive with the hum of anticipation. The Minnesota Yacht Club Festival is in full swing, and as the sun dips low, casting a golden glow over the crowd, Alabama Shakes takes the stage. After years away, this reunion feels like catching up with an old friend who’s got stories to tell—and oh, do they deliver.

Frontwoman Brittany Howard steps up to the mic, her voice already weaving that raw, soulful magic the band is famous for. Right from the opener, “Hang Loose,” you can feel the energy shift. The crowd, a mix of longtime fans and festival newcomers, sways together, drawn in by the band’s unfiltered blues-rock groove. Brittany’s guitar riffs cut through the air like a summer storm, backed by the steady pulse of Zac Cockrell’s bass and Heath Fogg’s intricate layers. It’s not just a performance; it’s a conversation, heartfelt and real.

Mid-set, Brittany pauses, her eyes scanning the sea of faces under the twilight sky. With that sincere warmth that makes you lean in, she thanks everyone for being so welcoming. “Y’all have no idea what this means,” she says, her voice cracking just a touch. It’s a moment that sticks—the kind that reminds you why live music hits different. She opens up a bit more, sharing that some of us may not know she grew up in a junkyard, tinkering with dreams bigger than the scrap around her. Always wanted to sing and play, she says, and then, in high school, she met two of her bandmates who turned those dreams into this very band. The crowd erupts, not just in cheers, but in that collective nod of understanding. It’s interaction at its finest—vulnerable, connecting, turning strangers into a shared story.

The set rolls on with powerhouse tracks like “I Ain’t the Same” and the anthemic “Hold On,” each one building on the last. Brittany’s vocals soar, gritty and tender by turns, while the band’s tight chemistry shines through every note. “Don’t Wanna Fight” brings a funky edge that has folks dancing in the grass, and by “Gimme All Your Love,” it’s clear: this isn’t a comeback; it’s a reclamation. The performance is heartfelt through and through, a reminder of the soul-stirring fire that put Alabama Shakes on the map.

To step back a bit, Alabama Shakes formed back in 2009 in the small town of Athens, Alabama. It started simply enough—Brittany Howard and bassist Zac Cockrell, high school pals bonded over music in the hallways of their local school. They roped in guitarist Heath Fogg and drummer Steve Johnson soon after, jamming in garages and local dives, honing a sound that blended raw blues, Southern rock, and soulful grit. Their big break came with the 2012 debut album Boys & Girls, a collection of tracks born from those early days that captured lightning in a bottle. Hits like “Hold On” and “I Found You” showcased Brittany’s powerhouse voice and the band’s effortless groove, earning them Grammy nods and a spot on festival stages worldwide.

They followed it up in 2015 with Sound & Color, an ambitious evolution that pushed boundaries with psychedelic edges and introspective lyrics. Songs like “Don’t Wanna Fight,” “Gimme All Your Love,” and the title track became staples, blending vulnerability with visceral energy. The album snagged more Grammy acclaim, cementing their status as modern torchbearers for American roots music. But after that peak, the band hit pause—Brittany dove into solo work, exploring new horizons. Whispers of a reunion bubbled up, and here we are in 2025, with them back, sounding renewed and unbreakable.

That night at the Yacht Club, as they closed with “Guess Who,” the crowd lingered in the afterglow, buzzing about the magic they’d just witnessed. Alabama Shakes didn’t just play songs; they shared pieces of their junkyard-rooted journey, making every note feel personal. If you missed it, catch them on this reunion run—it’s the kind of show that lingers in your bones.

Band Members

• Brittany Howard – Lead Vocals and Guitar
• Heath Fogg – Guitar
• Zac Cockrell – Bass

Verified Setlist from Minnesota Yacht Club Festival, July 18, 2025

• Hang Loose
• I Ain’t the Same
• I Found You
• Don’t Wanna Fight
• Hold On
• Rise to the Sun
• Gimme All Your Love
• Guess Who

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