...since he is dead.
Tonight was the fifth concert in SLC's Twilight Concert Series, a free... series of concerts that happen in Pioneer Park. So far this year the lineup has included Modest Mouse, Beirut, Girl Talk, and The New Pornographers, which I saw all of save Girl Talk. Tonight was something a little different: a straight up funky soul concert. I figured it would be a good time, but I had no idea what lay in store for me.
Opening Act: Jamie Lidell
I had heard of Jamie Lidell. I knew he was British, I knew he had reinvented himself as a soul singer of sorts about five years ago, and I had heard the song Multiply, which I enjoyed. We approached the park shortly after he had started, and it already sounded like a good time. The setup: one drum kit in the back, a bassist, a guy alternating between guitar and keyboards, another drum kit up front that was set up in a way that I don't want to describe here, Jamie Lidell, and Mr. Jimmy (I think that's what he called him), a balding keyboardist with a mullet from Arkansas who was fun to watch.
Long story short, cracka can sing. Oh boy, can he sing. He's the only white guy I've ever heard that sounds almost exactly like Corey Glover from Living Colour live. It was intense. He also was a lot of fun in between songs, making outlandish claims about his success and whatnot. Excellent performer. You could tell he was having the time of his life up there. We were already digging the music, when the band walked off stage leaving only our man Jamie. He started singing into a sampler and adding effects and ended up doing four part harmonies with himself. No easy feat. The band came back, and they once again brought the thunder. First time I've ever seen an opening act walk off the stage to the entire audience (myself included) chanting for more. And then...
Headliner: Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
I was slightly more familiar with their music, having heard their cover of Woody Guthrie's This Land is Your Land during the opening credits of 2009's Up In the Air (a fine film, by the way) and a few other songs here and there. The band came out and got the audience hyped up, and they were great. Spot on. Starting stage right, they had a trumpet, tenor sax, bari sax, drummer, auxillary percussionist, bassist, and two guitarists. Finally, after a few minutes of them playing their hearts out, Sharon Jones came out.
It's very rare you see someone who is that good at working an audience. Two or three songs in, she convinced security to let a guy in the front row on the stage so she could serenade him. She dragged one solid groove out for at least five minutes, and it never got old. Near the end of the show, she collected a few items from the front of the audience to autograph. A shoe wound up on stage, and she signed it. They hammered through their set. By the time they were halfway done, I wasn't sure if I had legs anymore. Right now, in fact, I'm completely exhausted, but I couldn't be any happier with the show I saw tonight. If I had any complaint about their set, it was that the encore was a little short. Oh well.
Recommended Listening:
Stay With Me (Baby) - Lorraine Ellison (great song in a similar, yet slower, vein)
A Change is Gonna Come - Sam Cooke (same deal)
New York City Cops - The Strokes (oh no! wild card!)
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