Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings: Believe the Hype
Though Sharon Jones was the first concert this Seattlest attended in 2009, we will make a wager that it will far surpass anything we'll see for the remainder of the year (concert-wise) and for that matter, possibly next year too.
Frequenting the popular Emerald City Soul Club at Eastlake's Lo-Fi as of late put us in the mood for soul and the crowd that goes with it. Although the Sharon Jones audience was no ECSC crowd, the mood and vibe were similar. We were worried that people would not be dancing, as Seattle shows often suffer from this disease. Fears were allayed, people were getting their groove on.
She'll be 53 in May, but Sharon Jones has the agility of 23-year-old paired with legs that won't quit. The Dap-Kings, an eight-piece funk band known for accompanying Jones and Amy Winehouse, held their own, playing about a 15-minute warm-up set that got the crowd goin' before Jones set foot onstage. Outfitted in a '60's-style brocade dress and stiletto heels, Sharon also dressed the part.
Various ladies and gents were hoisted up from the front and center of the crowd to dance alongside Jones and her sweet moves--moves that we will work at emulating for future soul nights. When one gal couldn't cut it, she was sent back to the floor with Sharon exclaiming, "Well, what did you want to get up here for?"
Fun and games aside, a somber rendition of Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come" nearly brought tears to our eyes. We could not help quietly chanting "Obama" near the end. Sharon masterfully carried off throwback and new while epitomizing a classic soul sound. Meanwhile the Dap-Kings infused horns, drums, and base into an explosion of funk. The main set ended with "100 Days, 100 Nights" from the 2007 album, then they returned after a screaming encore.
Aside from the opener, the folksy Ivan Milev band (which provided nothing more than acoustic background music), there was not a dull moment in the night. We've since changed our Facebook religious views to worshiping in the house of Sharon Jones. Hallelujah.
