Monday, January 23, 2006

(AUDIO!!) Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings

Wednesday, February 8th, 2006 8:00 PM
FT. LAUDERDALE, FL
Culture Room
3045 North Federal Highway
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33325
954-564-1074
Buy Tickets

When I saw that Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings would be playing the Culture Room on February 8, I was extremely excited and more than a little bit shocked. I mean, this is an obscure group. I would have never heard of them if it weren't for a good word put in by members of the Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra. I guess this afrobeat collective and Jones' old school funkateers run in the same crowd in Brooklyn. (After doing a little additional research, I've discovered that the bands actually share some members.

Check out Sharon's funk pedigree:
  • born and raised in Augusta, GA, hometown of none other than Mr. Dynamite himself, James Brown.
  • moved to Brooklyn in the 70s as a teacher and became infatuated with the addictive rhythms of funk and disco
  • worked as session singer and studio stable star until the good music of the 70s faded into the overproduced crap of the 80s
  • feeling down and out, she got a job as a prison guard at Riker's Island. You heard me right. She was a prison guard in NYC. Now that is hardcore.
  • one day in the mid-90s when she was singing at her church a record producer heard her, put her voice to wax, and the rest, as that real old cliche goes, is history!

I promised some people that I would give them a little sample as a way to entice them into coming to the show (funknjam!), so here goes. The first link will get you the debut LP, the second is a 45 that came out a little later.

Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings -
Dap Dippin' with Sharon Jones

Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings - Genuine

If this doesn't get you excited for some REAL DEAL funk, well then, you don't have a pulse.

So I'll give resuscitating your sorry ass one more try:

Watch this video of the band doing their thing live on Conan. Do you see how many people are on stage there? DO you see the funk dripping off of Sharon like sweat from Michael Jordan? Do you see the suits?

To me, this show is definitely a no-brainer, and could very well be the sleeper show of the week at the Culture Room.

2 Comments:

At 11:09 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

a dap-king haiku for you!

mmm...sharon jones sweet
prison guard? Send Me to Jail!
riker's got the funk

 
At 10:35 PM, Blogger Unknown said...

and for you...

dookie loves to wear
checkered sweater vests
they fit you so tight

 

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