Thursday, August 19, 2010

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings Sizzle At The Newport Folk Festival


Newport Folk Festival: August 1 @ Fort Adams, N
ewport, RI


Sunday morning, the weather was perfect and the crowd in front of the Fort Stage began to swell. The second act was preparing to take the stage for a much anticipated set.

The band took the stage, the band leader began his old school highlights intro and then ...

The tiny little woman with the big voice took the stage. Sharon Jones from go commanded the stage belting out song after song. The audience was seriously into every moment of it, shouting out words of adoration and dancing. It was possibly the first time I've ever seen multiple members of a photo pit dance while trying to take photos. In the end, Jones and the Dap-Kings showed that even at 12:30 on a Sunday afternoon, you can turn a folk festival into a funky party. I heard more than one person say the performance ranked right up there among the group's best. They certainly tied with What Cheer? Brigade as highlight of the festival in my book.

(More photos HERE)

www.newportfolkfest.net