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Brittany Howard's Thunderbitch played ATO's CMJ showcase w/ Margaret Glaspy, Jessica Lea Mayfield and Joseph (pics)

photos by P Squared

Thunderbitch @ Knitting Factory 10/16/2015
Thunderbitch

I didn’t know what to expect when the Alabama Shakes singer took the stage for the first time with her rock band Thunderbitch, but no one could have imaged Brittany Howard coming out in white face, sitting on a motorcycle wearing leather and donning a straight haired, short, black wig. The music was right out of the garage: no frills, all grit, nothing new, but that’s the point. This band, made up of members of Nashville’s Clear Plastic Masks and Fly Golden Eagle, simply shows that when rock is stripped down to its core and cranked full of talent it speaks volumes and thrills the soul. – [Bob Boilen, NPR]

This year’s CMJ had plenty of noteworthy shows and one of the more special ones was Thunderbitch‘s performance at the ATO Records Showcase at Knitting Factory on October 16. Thunderbitch, as you may know, is Alabama Shakes frontwoman Brittany Howard’s other band, which hadn’t played live since 2012, making this an extremely rare show. (And a much more intimate venue than Alabama Shakes play these days.) It was also a record release party for Thunderbitch’s debut album, which was surprise-released in September and you can listen to at their website. While Thunderbitch shows are once in a blue moon, Alabama Shakes are currently touring and all dates are listed below.

The rest of the ATO CMJ showcase featured sets from Margaret Glaspy, Jessica Lea Mayfield (who played the BV Saturday day party), and Joseph. Pictures from their sets, plus more from Thunderbitch, below…


Margaret Glaspy

Margaret Glaspy

Margaret Glaspy

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Jessica Lea Mayfield

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Joseph

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Alabama Shakes— 2015 Tour Dates
Nov 03 Olympia Theatre with Michael Kiwanuka Dublin, Ireland
Nov 04 Olympia Theatre with Michael Kiwanuka Dublin, Ireland
Nov 06 – Nov 07 Rolling Stone Weekender Weissenhaeuser Strand, Germany
Nov 07 Paradiso with Michael Kiwanuka Amsterdam, Netherlands
Nov 08 De Oosterpoort Groningen with Michael Kiwanuka DA Groningen, Netherlands
Nov 10 Cirque Royal with Michael Kiwanuka Brussels, Belgium
Nov 11 Casino de Paris Paris, France
Nov 12 X-Tra with Michael Kiwanuka Zurich, Switzerland
Nov 13 – Nov 14 Sonic Visions Festival Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
Nov 16 013 Poppodium with Michael Kiwanuka Tilburg, Netherlands
Nov 18 O2 Academy Brixton London, UK
Nov 19 O2 Academy Brixton with Michael Kiwanuka London, UK
Dec 07 December to Remember @ McMenamins Crystal Ballroom with The Weather Machine Portland, OR
Mar 10 – Mar 12 Festival Estereo Picnic Bogota , Colombia
Mar 12 – Mar 13 Lollapalooza Brazil São Paulo, Brazil
Mar 18 – Mar 19 Lollapalooza Argentina Buenos Aires, Argentina
Mar 19 – Mar 20 Lollapalooza Chile Santiago, Chile