Sharon Jones, Supernova

Before Valentine's night, I had heard of Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings. I had perhaps seen them on TV once. I figured I would like their music, but I wasn't familiar. After Valentine's night, when I saw the band at a theater in Times Square, I can tell you that it is necessary to see them live. Easily one of the best shows I've ever seen. In terms of pure energy and good feeling, Prince and The Hold Steady are the only two that compare.

From my new exploration, the records sound great. But in person, that's something different. Jones is 53 going on 54, and she never stopped moving (and moving hard) for more than two hours. Funk, soul, gospel, she can sing them all. This clip below is a cover of Marva Whitney's "Things Got to Get Better" that the band played at a Brooklyn club four years ago. (The club is very small, and two blocks from where I live. I'm now very upset.) Anyway, she had a much bigger stage on which to run around Saturday night, and in this clip she seems absolutely sedate compared to when I saw her. Think about that. And go see this band.