Audio By Carbonatix
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
Fillmore Miami, Miami Beach
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Last night, Miami witnessed a bright glimmer of hope, a true freedom fighter in the revolution against the evil Auto-Tuned empire that currently governs the pop music world. Drake, Keri Hilson, and Rihanna take note, Sharon Jones and her Dap-King militia are on the war path, armed with (gasp) real instruments, and a stage show that not only has the bite to back up the formidable bark of their albums, it goes right for the throat.
Currently on tour in support of her fourth full-length, I Learned The Hard Way, Jones brought a bit of the mid-’60s to
South Beach. Generally speaking, “retro” artists overshoot
the mark in attempts at authenticity. It often becomes a schtick
of sorts, rather than an honest expression of a genre. Well into her 50s, Jones defines
authentic, and absolutely embodies the soul genre. Together with the nine-piece
Dap-Kings and the 2 Dap-Ettes, Jones’ performance was a time machine
transporting the entire room back to an era when singers had to sing,
musicians had to play, and what they looked like was still an
afterthought to what they sounded like.
Taking the stage at 9 p.m., Binky Griptite played the role of MC in
addition to that of guitarist and gave a lengthy verbal introduction to
the Dap-Kings Soul Review. This was more than musicians playing their
songs, this was a proper show. The Kings kicked off the set with a high
energy version of the laid-back instrumental “The Reason.” The
impact of a nine-piece band firing on all cylinders is something that is
felt as much as it is heard. Decked out in era-correct garb, the Dap-Kings sold the image as
well as their playing sold the songs, without looking as though they
were in costume.
Following the first song, the band brought each of the Dap-Ettes
out for their feature numbers, a generous gift to these young women from
a woman who has had her share of music industry
disappointments. Finally, after three songs, via an incredibly well-rehearsed and intricate web of segue pieces and verbal introductions,
the build-up was complete and Jones finally made it to the stage. The
band was warmed up, and everyone in the criminally under capacity
room was moving in one form or another, many involuntarily.
Sharon was absolutely working for her meal on that stage, and you
could tell within the first few notes that she had something to prove.
This is a woman who has been kicked around by the music industry for
more than a few years, and has finally seen herself delivered to her
rightful place at center stage. Determined to keep her roost, the
anti-pop star had more energy and personality than any woman in her 50s
should have, and was in a class completely unto herself. Her singing
was perfect, she moved through the whole set, stalking the stage like it
was her last time up there, the Dap-Kings feeding off of her energy the
entire time.
This band was so unbelievably in sync with each other that I spent
the first five songs speculating as to whether or not they were actually
playing. It is a rare occasion to see a band recreate the sounds from
their records as closely as the Dap-Kings did. They played for two hours
straight, burning through a well-balanced set of songs from both their
back catalog and the new release. The horn section ripped its way
through the stabs and swells of songs like “The Game Gets Old” and “100
Days, 100 Nights.” Bass player and band director Bosco Mann spent the
night behind his signature sunglasses, paying the ultimate homage to
Funk Brother James Jamerson with his playing, the rest of the
band utilizing an uncanny ability to play as one over his rock-solid
foundation.
It was an inspiring performance and by the end of the night,
80 percent of the room was openly dancing to the infectious grooves coming from
the stage. At several points in the show, Sharon brought up groups of
girls to dance on stage with her, or a male audience member to serenade.
The overall vibe was that of a woman having the time of her life, and
it really did emanate unto everyone in the room. This was more than just
a concert, it really was a show. You were in the capable hands of
someone who had studied the book on soul music, a true student of her
home town hero James Brown, proven by her encore, a firey rendition of
“It’s A Man’s World.”
