Whether you’re a fan of Alabama Shakes or her work as a solo artist (or both), it’s a good time to be a Brittany Howard enthusiast. With her new album set to come out next Friday, Howard gave her supporters something to do in the immediate term by lining up a headlining gig at Summerfest, tickets for which go on sale this week.
Howard will top the bill at the BMO Pavilion on the festival’s opening day, June 20, with Americana duo The War and Treaty serving as openers.
A five-time Grammy winner, Howard first garnered widespread attention with her Alabama Shakes bandmates courtesy of the 2015 album Sound & Color. The LP won the music industry’s biggest prize for Best Alternative Music Album, and “Don’t Wanna Fight” took home Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance.
Four years later, Howard released her debut solo album, Jaime, showing she’s as formidable a force going it alone. The record pulled in five Grammy nominations, including a win for “Stay High” as Best Rock Song. Her follow-up LP took a little time but is proving worth the wait based on singles “What Now,” “Red Flags” and “Prove It to You,” the last of which was among this week’s 13(!!) adds to the 88Nine playlist.
The War and Treaty — which comprises husband-and-wife duo Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter — attracted notice from the industry a little more recently, having been nominated for a pair of Grammys this year: Best New Artist and Best American Roots Song for “Blank Page.”
Tickets for the June 20 show go on sale this week, with the general sale starting at 10 a.m. Friday online via Ticketmaster and in person at the Summerfest box office located near the south gate.
