Alabama Shakes. "Don't Wanna Fight." Sound & Color, Alabama Shakes LLC under exclusive license to ATO Records, LLC in the United States., 2015.
Still coming down from the high of the Osheaga Music and Arts Festival last weekend in Montréal, where I had the immense pleasure of sitting next to Toronto R&B up-and-comers Daniel Caesar and Tommy Beesley (aka River Tiber) while the supremely talented Alabama Shakes rocked the crowd. Lead vocalist and guitarist Brittany Howard is truly a force of nature and witnessing her belt her heart out to a crowd of tens of thousands of festival-goers during sunset was an experience I'll not soon forget.
After learning of the horrifying events in Charlottesville this past weekend, and returning to the US from a short visit back to Canada, I've been feeling a renewed sense of hope in the power of cultural institutions, the arts, and especially music, to share messages of tolerance, foster understanding, and build community. We need it now more than ever.