On Sept. 24, Ottawa received a dose of some down-south medicine when soulful rockers Alabama Shakes shook TD Place with their presence. Accompanied by alt-rock band July Talk, the night’s performance was perfectly contrasted in both sound and energy.
Opening act July Talk, a Toronto-based band, featured curiously opposing vocals due to Peter Dreimanis’ rough and edgy growls and Leah Fay’s sweet-sounding melodies. A strange act, to say the least, but July Talk kept the audience interested with strong crowd interaction and by regularly jumping into the pit to get up close and personal with the already enthusiastic fans.
Although the focal point of their set was watching the strange and romantic dynamic that existed between Dreimanis and Fay, the pair also moved from an up-close and personal stage presence with one another to unpredictable individual choreography, such as Fay maniacally flailing with the microphone stand on her back.
When July Talk moved into the more solemn part of their set, they kept the fan interaction high, and as a result the energy was sustained. Speaking to the crowd occasionally and bringing them into the experience as much as possible really made their set.
Though they only have one album out, including their hits such as “Guns + Ammunition,” “Paper Doll,” and “Gentleman,” the band also played a few new tracks off their yet-to-be-announced upcoming record. Overall, July Talk brought everything they had with them on stage. They received a standing ovation and a chant for an encore, which was a testament to their performance considering they were only the night’s opening act.
Despite the killer opening act, the real star of the night was Alabama Shakes’ frontwoman Brittany Howard. Seemingly channeling Janis Joplin and Aretha Franklin all at once, Howard’s beautifully roaring voice kept the audience stunned and quietly anticipating whatever the band had to offer next.
The band opened with “Future People,” a soulful 70s style rock song which was the perfect showcase for the band’s overall talent. They then transitioned without hesitation to “Hang Loose,” the West Coast, good vibes tune from their debut record, and by doing so, they immediately had the crowd in the palms of their hands. From there, the emotional atmosphere only deepened as Howard kept the stage presence and crowd work to a bare minimum and let the music speak for itself. Even by the middle of their show, it had already spoken volumes.
Alabama Shakes continually transitioned from old tracks like “Hold On” off Boys & Girls—their 2012 debut—to fresh hits like “Don’t Wanna Fight” from their 2015 sophomore record Sound & Color. Over all, Howard was able to utilize her extraordinary vocals backed by the expert musicianship provided by the rest of the band to create raw emotion in every song that touched the hearts of every member of the audience with beautiful vocal and melodic power.
