Alabama Shakes bring protest message to Ohana Festival set
Brittany Howard wore an "ICE OUT" pin on her guitar strap and paused mid-set to speak about immigration raids as Alabama Shakes played Ohana Festival in Dana Point, California, on Saturday.
The frontwoman, who leads the band, stopped between songs to talk about hope and solidarity amid nationwide Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, Rolling Stone reported. ICE is the short form of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the federal agency carrying out those raids. Howard told the crowd that seeing people risk their lives to protect each other gives her hope for the future.
She did not rush past it. She took a clear break from the music to address the audience directly. Then the band played on.
Howard was joined on stage by her bandmates Zac Cockrell and Heath Fogg. The three performed together as Alabama Shakes, with Howard wearing the pin in full view on her strap throughout the set.
The setlist reached back to the start of the group's recording career. It included "Rise to the Sun" and "Hold On" from Boys & Girls, the band's 2012 debut album. A debut album is the first full-length record a group releases.
The band also played "Guess Who" and "Dunes" from Sound & Color, their second album. Those four songs sat alongside newer material in the same performance, moving the set from early work to the present day.
The newer song was "American Dream". It comes from I Must Be Dreaming, the band's latest LP. An LP, or long-playing record, is a full-length album. I Must Be Dreaming is their first new record in 11 years.
The Ohana Festival date in Dana Point on 26 September 2026 had been listed on the band's own website. Saturday's show formed part of the festival's second night, which was closed out by Tyler Childers. Pearl Jam were scheduled to perform on Sunday.
Ohana Festival is held at Doheny State Beach, Ohana Festival says. The event features more than 35 performances across three stages. It also includes Storytelling in the Cove, a programme of exhibits and panels with conservationists, environmentalists, researchers and professional surfers.
