Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Valerie June give the people what they want at the Wiltern

0

sharon-jones-wiltern-03-25-2014-10

There was a whole lot of soul going on at the Wiltern on Tuesday night. Albeit filtered differently, both leading ladies – Memphis-based opener Valerie June and Brooklyn-based Sharon Jones, who fronted the Dap-Kings – put their charm on full blast when taking the stage. From June’s moving mixture of folk, blues, gospel and bluegrass to Jones and the Dap-Kings’ roaring funk, it was a night to celebrate being alive in the biggest way possible.

June, whose Dan Auerbach-produced album “Pushin’ Against a Stone” garnered high praise in 2013, whipped out her talents on banjo, mandolin and guitar to complement her bright vocals. But it was her stage banter that truly pulled in new fans. With cheeky smiles underneath that gorgeous hair, June would joke with L.A. fans with comments like “Oh, maybe when I don’t have any responsibilities, I’ll move to L.A. That’s what y’all are doin’, right?” June certainly brought Tennessee with her through songs like “Tennessee Time,” “Somebody To Love” and more.

As sweet and humorous June was, the real party started when the Dap-Kings took the stage and lit the room with the energy of horns, drums and funky bass lines. Jones, of course, was to make a grand entrance after her backing vocalists sang a few songs of their own (a separate showcase, really). When the little lady in a white dress did strut her way onto stage, however, the roaring enthusiasm in the room was nearly indescribable.

Jones and the Dap-Kings opened with tunes such as “You’ll Be Lonely,” “If You Call” and “Stranded In Your Love” (a tune that features fellow soul singer Lee Fields on the recording), but it isn’t a Sharon Jones show if somebody isn’t pulled onto stage and that’s exactly what happened during “Long Time, Wrong Time.”  While singing to audience stage left, Jones pulled up an excited fan named Tommy – “Come on, baby. I saw you all the way from up here.” With his swiveling hips, zealous appreciation and Jones’ own signature dance movies, it was a memorable moment for both Tommy and happy on-lookers.

Jones continued to live up to new album title, “Give the People What They Want.” The Dap-Kings couldn’t have introduced the woman any better. Nearly 60 years old, Jones’s vivacity was astonishing and incredibly contagious as she belted out more tunes like “Retreat!” “Get Up and Get Out,” “I Learned the Hard Way,” and pulled yet another fan on stage to duet with her on “This Land Is Your Land.”

Jones and the Dap-Kings only slowed it down once and to say it was appropriate during a song titled “Slow Down, Love” would be an understatement. Although doing the mashed potato, the twist, the funky four corners and more dance moves was pure fun, hearing Jones and Dap-Kings nail a ballad was a refreshing breather from the chaos. But it didn’t take long for the band to pick it back up. “Better Things” and “Now I See” seemingly closed the set and Jones blew kisses and waved goodbye to her fans as they thunderously clapped.

Yet the party still continued as the Dap-Kings encouraged a handful of fans to jump on stage to dance out the last few numbers with them. Pretty soon, the entire stage was filled with fans dancing with reckless abandon. Their spirits were heightened once more when Jones popped out to dance with them for a minute or two.

Finally, the Dap-Kings announced, “Unfortunately, we’ve got to vacate this stage,” which was greeted by disapproving boos and sad fans who were ushered off. The room knew they really had one more song in them, though, and just as anticipated – but not the least disappointed – Jones came out to sing “100 Days, 100 Nights.” It may have been their 19th number that night, but it was performed as if it were the first song of the set and fans danced until the very last note.