Chris Stapleton, Alabama Shakes- Marcus Amphitheater, 7/2/16

photo by Chad Gettleman

Soulful, gripping, and deeply engaging are just a few words that come to mind when reflecting on a truly special evening of music delivered by Alabama Shakes and Chris Stapleton.  This one time only performance from both bands filled the Marcus Amphitheater to near capacity on a gorgeous summer night.  While for many, the acts seemed different (Stapleton is a traditional country artist and Alabama Shakes a blues rock band) the raw emotion that emanated from both bands bound them and the audience together.

Alabama Shakes front woman, Brittney Howard, is a performer who leaves her heart and soul on stage.  Her dynamic vocals swept from one end of the Marcus Amphitheater to the other and bellowed from the stage to the bleachers and the grass.  When I fist saw Howard and her band perform it was in the intimate confines of the Pabst Theater for a $10 show before the release of their 2012 debut record Boys and Girls.  It may have been their largest crowd to date at that time.  Fast forward four years and the act has become a true blues rock juggernaut, and Howard one of the most intense, dramatic, and passionate performers you'll find anywhere.  Backing Alabama Shakes this time around was a three piece vocal group who added texture to their soulful tunes.

photo by Chad Gettleman

Alabama Shakes set consisted heavily of tunes from 2015's outstanding release Sound and Color.  The show varied from slow burning numbers like "Dunes" to more shredding tunes like "The Greatest."  As the show went on, Howard's passion may have gotten the best of her as her glasses literally flew off her face and into the darkness of the stage during her guitar solo on "Gemini" .  She declared to the crowd afterwards that this was the first time she'd ever, "played blind," and went on to nail passionate renditions of "Sound and Color" and the rousing anthemic "You Ain't Alone."

photo by David Bernacchi- originally published on OnMilwaukee.Com

Next up was Chris Stapleton, who proudly announced when he took the stage to a roaring ovation from the crowd, that this was the first time he's ever played Milwaukee.  The Summerfest audience greeted him in fine fashion singing along with the opening licks of "Nobody to Blame."  Stapleton's quartet, comprised of his wife Morgane, a drummer and a bass player delivered an immensely powerful sound bound together by Stapleton's lush vocals. While Stapleton's vocals have been heralded by music fans as outstanding, his guitar work is also noteworthy.  Stapleton's expression on guitar brought his listener into his compelling, earnest tales, told by an exceptional songwriter.  The humility of Stapleton stood out as well.  During a concert highlight, "Fire Away," Stapleton got choked up during the impromptu audience sing-along, asking the fans to sing it again with him, and then stepping away from the mic to "compose himself."  It is rare that you see this amount of honest emotion from a performer, let alone one playing the Marcus Amphitheater, but it is moments like these that made the show extra special.  Chris Stapleton and his band mates set consisted heavily of material off of his 2015 debut solo release, Traveller, as well as peppering in some tunes from his work with the Steeldrivers ("Midnight Train to Memphis" and "Drinking Dark Whiskey").  By the close of his set- a masterful rendition of "Tennessee Whiskey," the audience exploded with applause.

This was one of the best concerts I've ever seen... a performance where musicians left their hearts and souls on stage.  It's the kind of show that sticks to your bones.

Setlists- origianlly published by Matt Mueller OnMilwaukee.com

Alabama Shakes"Future People"
"Dunes"
"Always Alright"
"Heartbreaker"
"Rise To The Sun"
"Guess Who"
"Miss You"
"The Greatest"
"On Your Way"
"Joe"
"Be Mine"
"Gimme All Your Love"
"Don't Wanna Fight"
"Gemini"
"Sound and Color"
"You Ain't Alone"
"Over My Head"

Chris Stapleton"Nobody To Blame"
"Midnight Train to Memphis"
"Outlaw State of Mind"
"Drinkin' Dark Whiskey"
"More of You"
"Might As Well Get Stoned"
"Was It 26"
"The Devil Called Music"
"Hard Living"
"Traveller"
"Fire Away"
"You Are My Sunshine"
"Tennessee Whiskey"
Encore:
"Whiskey and You"
"Sometimes I Cry"