Concert-wise
at least, there can’t be too many experiences like sitting in the front row of
a show by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings.
Since this
was my first time at the Lincoln in years, with one of the hottest acts around
(two sold-out shows) and general admission seating, I figured I’d better arrive
early, but wound up overdoing it a bit, getting off the Metro around 4:50 with
doors scheduled to open at 6:30. No line yet. I walked a few blocks down U
Street, picked up a few things at a CVS, and got back to the theater at 5:00 –
there was now a line consisting of one person. Stopped next door at Ben’s Chili
Bowl, got some chili, and went back outside around 20 minutes later, at which
point person #1 had been joined by her friend, making me #3 in the line.
More folks
gradually arrived, and with quite a bit of time to wait plenty of conversation
ensued, including a discussion of the best place to sit. We all agreed to shoot
for the front row, which turned out not to be quite as easy as it sounded. They
finally opened the outer doors around 6:45 and let people into the lobby area.
Maybe 10 minutes or so later, they opened the lobby doors so we could get into
the hall and stairs leading to the theater, but not into the theater itself. Of
course, by this point the original order of the line had not exactly managed to
hold up all that well. Miraculously, however, once they opened the final set of
doors a few members of the original group managed to secure enough front-row
seats for all of us early-arrivers. (Another note – “doors open” apparently
also meant that the outer doors remained open, at least until the show started,
which meant that the lobby was absolutely frigid. I felt really sorry for the
folks who were running the two small bars out there.)
Valerie
June opened around 8:00 for a half-hour set that was enthusiastically received
by the crowd. She characterizes her sound as “Organic Moonshine Roots Music,”
which is probably as good a description as any, with shades of country, blues,
and especially Appalachian. She has quite an unusual voice – check out “Working
Woman” (which has been getting some play on WXPN) on her web site.
The
Dap-Kings (who may be best known for providing backing
instrumentals for Amy Winehouse’s breakthrough CD Back in Black), came out around 9:00, with a short warm-up to
prepare the crowd for Sharon’s entry. Despite recently overcoming bile duct
cancer, there was no decrease in her energy level, as she prowled all over the
stage for nearly the entire set of soul originals and a few great covers (“This
Land Is Your Land” and “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”). Other highlights
included “I Learned the Hard Way,” “Stranger to My Happiness” (her current
single), and “100 Days, 100 Nights” (my personal favorite and the first song of
hers I ever heard), although there really wasn’t a weak moment in the show.
To get an
idea of Sharon Jones and the band live, check out this performance from SXSW a
few years back.
