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Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
No matter what your relationship status, this band is playing your song
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings (Photo: Dulce Pinzon)
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Whether you’re heavyhearted or hot-and-bothered, soothe your soul this Valentine’s season with the sounds of Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings. The retro Dap-Kings, led by Jones, deliver a show with something for everyone. Keeping you moving, whether it’s swaying or shimmying, they’re the perfect band to see live. Couples in love will groove to the Dap-Kings’ familiar tempos and the brokenhearted will lament along with Jones’s tongue-lashing lyrics.
The band’s soulful style comes from years of heartache. Though it’s easy to imagine the gospel-trained singer’s star has always burned bright, Jones was dubbed, “too dark-skinned, too short, too fat…too old” by the music industry in the 80s. She sang background vocals and at weddings, worked as a corrections officer at Rikers, and drove an armored car, finally breaking onto the music scene in 1996. After pitfalls and lineup changes, the band was ultimately united in 2000, touring extensively with each new release, and Sharon was quickly crowned the “Queen of Funk.” Though the group maintained a steady following, critical attention peaked in 2007, when Amy Winehouse included the Dap-Kings on her recordings and live performances, lending their classic r&b sound to her modern lyrics.
On their own tracks, the Dap-Kings preserve a vintage sound with era-appropriate instruments, like the Rhodes. While the Dap-Kings cover the beat, Sharon gets the audience to their feet. Leading by example, Jones transports the crowd to the dancehalls of the 60s and 70s. Letting the music infuse her and possess her body, Sharon channels the heroes of her youth, like the late James Brown, shaking from her toes to the tip of her head, ultimately exploding with movement all over. Those who can keep up may be rewarded with a trip onstage when Sharon is in need of a partner.
Making the experience complete, the band even offers those of us still clinging to the past the opportunity to drop by the merch table and load up on their favorite 7-inch singles. That’s right, vinyl!
When the Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings take the stage, the power of Dap will heal you.