Brittany Howard is a once in a generation talent who expertly navigates genres while simultaneously delivering impeccable vocals and fuzzy guitar riffs. During her Oct. 5 performance at The Chicago Theatre – on a co-headlining tour with Michael Kiwanuka – Howard not only inspired with her musicality, but she also offered hope and strength in the power of the people to bring forth a more positive future.
During a passionate rendition of her Jaime track, “13th Century Metal,” Howard conjured the memory of the great Gil Scott-Heron to address the current tenor of the nation’s political discourse. Building upon her already empowering lyrics about “peace, love, and prosperity” and the reality that “we are all brothers and sisters” – a refrain Howard vowed to repeat again and again – she added analysis about the beauty of unity.
“We are brothers and sisters. I know it’s been said before and I’m gonna keep repeating that wherever I go. It’s easy to forget, to look at someone and say you’re not like me so therefore you are against me. I don’t think it needs to be like that. That’s my opinion. I know it’s been a hard time. There’s always been hard times, you know, but now that we can see the news 24/7 it feels like this shit’s falling apart,” she said before continuing, “I tell you where the power lies – in me, in you. We’re all very powerful beings. As easily as we can be destructive to one another, we can build bridges towards one another too. That’s the beauty of human beings. We have so much possibility.”
Earlier in the night, Howard treated fans to songs like “He Loves Me” and “Patience,” before showcasing her vocal range on the beautifully executed “Stay High” which unfolded against a smokey pink aura. “Goat Head” – which concluded with a stunning acapella outro – was among the most avant garde tunes of the night. Howard also paid tribute to Nina Simone and Funkadelic with rousing interpretations of “Revolution” and “You and Your Folks, Me and My Folks,” respectively.
You could have heard a pin drop during “To Be Still” while the funky jam “History Repeats” brought fans in the front to their feet as Howard and company honored their rock roots enhanced with jazzy flourishes. Elsewhere, the evening’s opener Yasmin Williams joined the band on stage during “Samson,” peppering the tune with a distinct guitar sound, and Howard used her microphone to detail all the reasons she was right when she found herself “on the low end of an eighty-twenty relationship” during “Baby.”
To close out her set, Howard drove home her message of optimism through What Now‘s “Another Day,” singing “We were born in a time to change the paradigm / Peace is the prize of our timeline,” adding, “I am having the time of my life.”
The former Alabama Shakes musician wasn’t the only one having the time of their life. As fans rose to give Howard and her band a well-deserved standing ovation, it was clear that this show will be looked upon as an example of how with great music and good company, walls fall down and genuine human connection rises in their wake.
Check out photos of Brittany Howard’s Chicago performance below and click here to pick-up tickets to see her and Michael Kiwanuka elsewhere on their co-headlining tour. More information can be found at Bittanyhoward.com.
(Photos by Laurie Fanelli)
