The Bass Geek

It’d be easy to accuse Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings of finding a comfortable niche in nostalgia, except that their music goes beyond its historic soul roots.  The performance Jones and her band puts on transcends a frozen place in history because of the sheer power and energy they put forth.  They owned the stage from the time they first set on it, through the three-song band intro and the set drawn from their new album “100 Days, 100 Nights” and their previous two efforts, right up until they closed the show with a three-song encore/tribute to James Brown that may have featured his songs but put their talent in the spotlight.  Jones was a tornado with perfect voice and timing - she’s learned how to carry a show in her 51 years, although her performance would have been exhausting for a performer half her age.  And the band (led by bassist Bosco Mann, always a good thing) managed the tight-enough-to-be-relaxed performance expertly.  This may be the first time Jones and the Dap-Kings visited the city, but they’re guaranteed a warm welcome from now on.