Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings BLOWING the f*ck up
spelunk
3,400 Posts
WHO is doing their promo/publicity/booking? They are doing a GREAT job. I am rarely impressed by such things but major props to whoever is bringing this to the masses. A+On the Colbert Report tonight.
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they played in town on Friday, most packed i've ever seen that venue, at least another 500 people more than the curren$y 4/20 show that i had to wait 30 minutes to get into.
Everytime I think of sharon jones and the dap kings I remember them doing the encore with their version of its a mans world and sharon fucking killed it.
they are simply amazing to witness live
Patience pays off. The group has been steadily building for eight years now and with each new album, they crack a few more doors open.
Oh no doubt, just saying that with some of these opportunities there's gotta be an agent or label person hustling HARD to make everything happen, and doing great work. They could have easily remained strictly in their "place" in the music world, but have transcended that in a way very, very few groups can manage these days.
I have no clue if they also do the promo work, or in meanwhile have sombody to do it for them but they did all the early label work with pressing their own 45s to build up their NY redstone basement studio and label home
Very impressive grind and build up. And all releases on daptone seem to have that magic!
I saw them there a couple years ago, and had I not been sleeping, I woulda copped again in a second.
Her and Lee Fields doing "Stranded...", so ill..
Seems like yesterday (actually it was 7 years ago) booking them in Fort Worth after Neal called me to see if they could get a show on their way through Texas...me excitedly accepting and then having to sheepishly hand over just a few hundred bucks as they were just playing for the door. But they never complained, in fact they were just excited I got them Negra Modelo (they said they had shitty beer the last few shows). One of the coolest things I have is a recording of the show that contains "Make it Good to Me" that Sharon interjected my name into the lyrics.
They've come a long way from playing for $400 and some change and a case of Mexican beer.
how is the new lp? i still need to check it out.
I recall that NY state commercial back during i think was the second album.
I havent seen any promotional stuff for them at all in NYC. Are there any Billboards or subway posters out there?
I've never seen any.
How many gigs do you think they have played in the last 8/9 years? Must be thousands.
I got a bit emotional seeing Sharon get the star interview treatment. Amazing stuff.
Sticking to your guns and playing to your strengths pays off. Glad to see it happening for them.
That's nuts. As much as i think they are dope, i like the music better that Truth & Soul is releasing.
Speaking of Billboard, I wonder how high this new album will make it into the charts (it's already resided in the Top 20, according to one source).
Short answer to OP: First you get the sales (billboard), then you call fallon et al and you walk on. Probably didn't take alot management muscle once they hit billboard.
**EDIT** Agreed though, to this point, lots of hustle and muscle on that side. Things are probably much easier for them now, phone calls being returned, etc.
http://billions.com
It definitely takes a lot of dedicated work on the publicity end for a group like this to be as big as they are.
The sad fact is, the chances of anybody getting that kind of sales and recognition based on their music alone is basically nil.
The original post was right, they are getting some first class publicity work.
^^^^^^^
THIS GUY. Always with the "just 'cause I'm a professional musician who puts out albums and tours for a living I know all about the music industry blah blah blah..." I COLLECT RECORDS. DON'T TET.
Chicken and egg. At some point along the line there is someone putting their ass on the line and pushing their connections to make this happen, pre-billboard.
My point is that there are many indie bands and whatever that do (for 2010) decent sales figures, tour overseas, maybe on the right station get on the radio. But at the end of the day it is very clear that they're just going after their target, stereotypical audience, no matter what the venue or medium, or they get pigeonholed, with or without their complicity.
With Sharon Jones, and granted part of this is that their music is better, more universal, not a niche thing to begin with, the group, label, and promo spots have gotten over the drudge of "soul revival" questions and presentations and the group is consistently presented and plays with an attitude of "how could you not dig this. There is zero novelty. It is so tough and so rare for any artist to achieve near-universal appeal, and my point is that all those who have worked to make this happen deserve respect (if it's truly just within the band then damn, y'all some hard-working mfers!), and it's a journey that I'd like to hear more about.
HELL YES I HAVE BEEN CALLING FALLON FOR YEARS AND HE ISNT CALLING ME BACK SO YES< UM HELLO, I KNOW YOUR NOT RIGHT.
Y U TRIPPIN DOGZ?
I KNOW THE REAL DONT FORGET THAT PLAESE.
WHY I ALWAYS GOT TO SKREME ON YOU?
B, don't underestimate what hard work can accomplish within a group. Two years of ass busting touring in the UK starting as support in small local pubs resulted in us playing the Glastonbury Festival, Reading, Leeds, Essentials and doing a Peel Session in Abbey Road, all without outside management and no real publicist. People take notice of groups who consistently play and do a good job.
Also, on an interesting side note, Banksy booked our first UK tour.
although it is one in a million, sometimes good music and talent can overcome the commercial hypebeast. Jones and Co deserve every amoount of success they get at this point, i am very very happy for them.
I'LL...I'M GONNA...I...I'LL CHUNKEN...YA FACE! I'LL CHUNKEN YOU IN YA FACE!!1! AAAAAGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!1!1![/b]
That's cool about Banksy though. I didn't know that.
Jones & the Daps actually appeared on Conan, Letterman, and Craig Ferguson's show (twice) BEFORE the new album came out...way before, mostly in the past year, although the Conan appeareance was in '05. I remembered seeing them at a prestigious, well-known indie rock club around that time, and a few people credited the high turnout to the Conan thing.
$ELL THEM SHIT$!
Good things come to those who wait. Really glad to see them finally getting the recognition they deserve.
b/w Amy who?
But I do think the group's prominence is both a reflection of the dedication of their staff but also just how SJDK fit into popular culture. I mean, there's a reason Ronson decided to book the Daptone Horns to play behind Amy Winehouse vs. going with, say, QSO or the Bamboos or Breakestra. Going back to the Desco era, Gabe's just built up a strong rep and good will amongst all kinds of gatekeepers and cultural promoters and over time, they've played their cards well to be able to cash in on all that.
And they also put out really good music.
But I think the reason why the band is experiencing so much success is less a consequence of strong management (though it certainly helps) and more about how they've built a great brand that happens to be well-managed.
correct.
And mind you, these aren't fringey collector-types, but relatively mainstream consumers.
I can't say whether this is the new "let's start a swing band!," but it evidently means that Jones & the Daps are making serious headway into the culture.