Rockin' Out with Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings hadn’t graced Houston in 4 years, yet they definitely made their mark on the 25th of January in Houston, Texas. The Doughnut and Coffee shuffled their way over to Walter’s on Washington that night, and were genuinely impressed. As they squeezed into the ramshackle dive of a venue, they were greeted with Jones’ vocals belting through. Before long, it was difficult not to step away from the bar, push in closer to the small stage, and capture a little more of Jones’ old-school rhymes and funky tunes.

For Coffee, the last time she was at Walter’s was to check out the MGMT/Yeasayer debut in Houston, on the 20th. This time, rather than being surrounded by sleepy high-schoolers who were probably out past curfew, she found herself amidst an overly-stagnant crowd. The line for the bar was pretty skimpy at both occasions, and by briefly glancing over the crowd, it appeared that people weren’t exactly getting into the groove of the music. (They were, however, not willing to let the Coffee and Doughnut push past at any cost. Oops – bad show etiquette on their part.)

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings worked better than MGMT/Yeasayer with the venue; perhaps it was the older crowd, which may have been better able to appreciate less mainstream music than, less independent-minded yungun’s; or perhaps it was the venue itself – a mundane old-church-turned-grungy-music-hall with the same old rough floorboards that once held a Sunday congregation. It was easy to believe that Sharon Jones, native to Alabama, had once sung in the church choir and had grown up listening to the tunes of James Brown.

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings first collaborated back in 2000, with their debut album, Dap Dippin’ with Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings. After going on tour starting in 2000, they began to get noticed more and more. And rightfully so. Their show at Walter’s borrowed mostly from their most recent album, 100 Days, 100 Nights. The band presented itself well, with both Sharon’s strong lead vocals and the Dap-Kings’ background harmonies. However, many know of Sharon Jones simply for the Dap-Kings’ past musical affiliation with Amy Winehouse (they played backup for her very successful album, Back to Black).

Anyone at the show on the 20th, however, can agree that Sharon Jones relies on nothing for her talent and potential. For both Coffee and Doughnut, they expect to see Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings swing through Houston another time (and hope that next time, the Houston crowd might loosen up a little, and get into the groove of the music).

--Coffee