Alabama Shakes Drop Urgent Protest Anthem "American Dream" Ahead of Massive Tour
Alabama Shakes return with "American Dream," a powerful protest song addressing contemporary issues, and announce extensive tour dates.
Blues-rock titans Alabama Shakes made a surprise comeback in late 2024 with an unannounced reunion show at a benefit in Tuscaloosa—their first live performance in seven years. Since then, they've been actively touring. Last year, they unveiled "Another Life," their first new track in a decade. Currently, they are crafting their third album and have a slew of shows on the horizon. Today, they're sharing "American Dream," a timely single reflecting the current state of affairs.
Given Brittany Howard's solo work, it's not entirely unexpected that Alabama Shakes would release a protest song. Yet, it’s compelling to hear their take on the genre. Set against a slow, weighty psychedelic groove, Howard passionately vocalizes the current state of affairs through layers of echo: "I thought we wanted the same thing! I must be dreaming!" The lyrics touch on abortion laws, environmental deregulation, gun violence, and the expanding income gap—a swirling panorama of unrest clearly inspired by works like Marvin Gaye's What's Going On. In a press release, Howard explains:
> It’s a snapshot of what we’re living through in 2026. I look around and wonder how we got to a place where there’s so much strain and so little support. I mean, it shouldn’t be impossible to take off work so you can bring your child to the doctor — that’s actually insane. My hope is that one day people will hear this song and say, "Yeah, shit was crazy back then, but we made it through."
We can only hope, right? Check out "American Dream" and their tour dates below.
TOUR DATES:
4/16 - Richmond, VA @ Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront ~
4/17 - Asheville, NC @ ExploreAsheville.com Arena ~
4/18 - Charleston, SC @ High Water Festival
4/22 - Memphis, TN @ Grind City Amphitheater +
4/24 - Atlanta, GA @ Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park +
4/25 - Raleigh, NC @ Red Hat Amphitheater +
4/26 - St. Augustine, FL @ St. Augustine Amphitheatre •
4/28 - Tallahassee, FL @ Adderley Amphitheater •
4/29 - Boca Raton, FL @ Sunset Cove Amphitheater •
4/30 - Clearwater, FL @ The BayCare Sound •
5/02 - New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
5/24 - Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre #
5/25 - Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre #
5/27 - Reno, NV @ Grand Sierra Resort
5/29 - Berkeley, CA @ The Greek Theatre @
5/30 - Berkeley, CA @ The Greek Theatre @
6/12 - Tuscaloosa, AL @ Mercedes-Benz Amphitheater %
6/13 - Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
7/01 - Leeds, UK @ Millennium Square &
7/03 - London, UK @ Alexandra Palace*
7/05 - Ghent, Belgium @ Gent Jazz Festival
7/07 - Lucca, Italy @ Summer Festival
7/09 - Lisbon, Portugal @ NOS Alive Festival
7/10 - Bilbao, Spain @ BBK Live
7/11 - Madrid, Spain @ Noches del Botanico§
7/24 - Tacoma, WA @ Dune Peninsula–
7/25 - Eugene, OR @ Autzen Stadium^
7/26 - Vancouver, BC @ Freedom Mobile Arch–
7/28 - Boise, ID @ Outlaw Field at the Idaho Botanical Garden–
7/29 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre –
7/31 - Jackson Hole, WY @ Snow King Mountain–
8/01 - Jackson Hole, WY @ Snow King Mountain–
8/21 - Highland Park, IL @ Ravinia ≠
8/22 - Indianapolis, IN @ Ruoff Music Center «
8/23 - St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheater «
8/25 - Grand Rapids, MI @ Acrisure Amphitheater «
8/26 - Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center «
8/28 - Minneapolis, MN @ Surly Brewing Co ¡
8/29 - Minneapolis, MN @ Surly Brewing Co ¡
8/30 - Madison, WI @ Breese Stevens Field ¡
9/01 - Bridgeport, CT @ Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater¡
9/02 - New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall ¡
9/04 - Bethel, NY @ Bethel Woods Center for the Arts >
9/05 - Lenox, MA @ Tanglewood >
9/06 - Shelburne, VT @ Concerts on the Green at Shelburne Museum º
9/15 - Montreal, QC @ MTelus º
9/18 - East Aurora, NY @ Borderland Festival
9/19 - Dover, DE @ The Woodlands^
9/25 - Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl *
~ with Joy Oladokun
- with Mon Rovîa
• with Lamont Landers
with JJ Grey & Mofro
@ with Nathaniel Rateliff
% with The Secret Sisters
& with Dove Ellis
- with Tyler Ballgame
§ with Joel Culpepper
– with Billy Allen + The Pollies
≠ with Liam Kazar
« with Tedeschi Trucks Band
¡ with Hannah Cohen
> with Mavis Staples
º with Emily King
^ with Zach Bryan
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