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Words by: Chester Winsome | Images by: Arthur Shim
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings :: 01.17.08 :: Black Cat :: Washington, DC
By the time our prison guard-cum-diva, Sharon Jones, strutted onto the stage, The Dap-Kings were a solid four songs into their set. As enjoyable as the stripped-down deep-funk was, it quickly became clear that this show was about Jones. The moment her red stilettos marked their territory on the floorboards, the band – a tight, able group of Gatsby hats, skinny ties, wide collars and few budding Afros – became mere wallpaper.
Their 15-minute showcase, conducted by guitarist and showman Binky Griptite, set the stage with an easy, sunny instrumental that led into some driving numbers with the loose-limbed Griptite on vocals. The performance was captivating and all without a shred of self-awareness that could easily unravel a revivalist act. But again, the audience – a near-even mix of ages and races – put all that out of their minds when Jones emerged.
Her set began with "I'm Not Gonna Cry," a recent single propelled by Jones' aggressive Tina Turner-style howl. She was dynamic, punctuating her deep belly notes with shouts and hoots, which kept up all night. As she blazed through about a dozen more cuts from her repertoire, sometimes she'd pull a hapless young man onstage to scorn, serenade, or plead with - a stranger forced to play the silent half of a romantic duo gone wrong. Sometimes she'd invite a flock of girls from the front row for dancing auditions. On one occasion there was a full-on mock exorcism, as Jones sang the demons out of a female fan that obligingly convulsed and gyrated with the music. For all the theatrics, it never seemed like choreography. Jones came off as a natural performer - a source of endless energy, pouring out whole notes at maximum volume, and even during slower songs, letting up for only a minute or so at a time.
 Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings :: 01.17 |
"How Do I Let a Good Man Down" was a clear highlight, a rolling triplet blues (a la Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground") that built to Jones doing her best Tina Turner, shouting through a horn-filled reprise. While some reviews have likened her to Otis Redding, James Brown and/or Aretha Franklin, she was all Tina this night.
Throughout the night, songs that began in a hush like "Nobody's Baby" only waited until the first chorus to ramp up. The volume constantly hovered around 10, and by the end of the night it was a little fatiguing, causing the audience's dancing to calm. Not everyone has the energy of Sharon Jones and her boys.
The only time to catch your breath was during the first of two encore songs, which included a cover of James Brown's "It's a Man's Man's Man's World." Sparse on the horns, it was exactly what the rest of the show needed – space for Jones to whisper. For the past hour, she had sung like she had something to prove while the band blasted away behind her. It was like an album full of Just Blaze singles. But, while high volume was Jones' comfort level, the show's most memorable moments came when she challenged herself, channeling the Godfather's dogged blues. The Dap-Kings have recently earned a flood of media attention, so maybe the excess exuberance is a product of that buzz. It's still an impressive show, but hopefully the next time around they'll realize that you have to build the house up before you can bring it down.
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