photos by Tamara Porras

"I hope people don't expect a lot because all I do is go out there and be me," [Sharon Jones] says. "The band comes out, they introduce me, I come out, I dance, I sing, I interact with the audience. I love when I can get people up to dance. I dance, I jump around. I don't know. I just be guided. Before I go on that stage every night I have that prayer. Me and my girls say a prayer with me before I walk on, I say that extra prayer. That prayer is: "Give me the right things to say, Lord. The right things to come out of my mouth." And that's what I do." [Syracuse New Times]

Continue reading "Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings completed their 7-NY-show run @ Bowery Ballroom (pics)"

Sharon Jones & Naomi Shelton - 12/6/2011 (photo by dianna_2ns)

Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens opened for Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings at their first of four NYC shows at Music Hall of Williamsburg last night (12/6). They are the openers again at the last sold out show which is at Bowery Ballroom on 12/14.

Meanwhile you can catch Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens at the Bell House tonight:

Farmers, Shoppers, Cooks and Neighbors unite for a night of revelry December 7, 2011

Join Greenmarket and Harvest Home for an end-of-season party to wring out a soggy year and plant some hope for a strong harvest in 2012. Warm up to winter and dance our regional farmers into the night with music by Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens and Zlatne Uste Balkan Brass Band at the Bell House on Wednesday, December 7 from 7 - 10 p.m.

Groove to sensational gospel music and soul-rattling Balkan beats, bid on books in our 'Cookbook Library' silent auction, enjoy light hors d'oeuvres prepared with locally grown ingredients and $3 Brooklyn Brewery brews all night. Proceeds will benefit participating Greenmarket and Harvest Home farms that were devastated by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee in September. Come shake it with us as we bid good night Irene once and for all.

The Sugarman 3 open for Sharon Jones at Music Hall tonight (12/7). A video of Sharon from last night can be watched below...

Continue reading "Sharon Jones NY run underway, Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens playing Greenmarket event @ Bell House tonight"

Lee Fields @ Summerstage (more by Bryan Kremkau)

While the Budos Band (and special guest TBA) are ringing in the new year in Williamsburg, Dig Deeper will be presenting Lee Fields & the Expressions along with Sugar Pie Desanto over at the Bell House for a soul party closer to Park Slope. Tickets are on sale.

Meanwhile, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings will be helping Daptone Records celebrate 10 years with a run of special NY shows that include 2 at Bowery and 2 at Music Hall. The NYC gigs are now all sold out, but in case you were wondering, here's who they have as openers so far:

12/6 @ Music Hall: Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens
12/7 @ Music Hall: The Sugarman 3
12/13 @ Bowery: The Sugarman 3
12/14 @ Bowery: Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens

Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens

Brooklyn bar and music venue Union Pool will host a Japan Benefit on April 10th (Sunday), and for $10 you'll get seven bands, a raffle ticket, and piece of mind in knowing that all proceeds go towards AmeriCares & Direct Relief International. Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens will headline the festivities, which will also feature The A-Bones, The Live Ones, Mighty Fine, The Dixons, The Back CCs, and The Underthings. There will also be DJ sets from WFMU DJs Dave The Spazz, Gaylord Fields, and John Funke, as well as DJ Kongress and DJ Shimmy. The show kicks off at 4PM. The flier and more details are below.

That's ten days before the venue will host the previous discussed benefit for the late Brendan Majewski of Orphan. Krallice, Obits, Mira Bilotte, and Dope Body are all on board for this $10 show, which kicks off at 8PM with all proceeds going back to the Majewski family to help pay for expenses. Orphan material will be reinterpreted by the bands playing the show. Flyer is below.

As previously discussed, Krallice will also play The Studio at Webster Hall on 5/2 with Withered, Ipsissimus, and Cleric. Tickets are still available.

You can of course also catch Naomi Shelton every Friday night at Fat Cat too.

More details on the benefit shows, and their fliers are below.

Continue reading "Union Pool hosting benefits"

photos by David Andrako

Fort Greene Park - Sept 14, 2010

The Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival kicks off tonight (9/16) at The Bell House and other venues. One of the performers you'll find on Friday's bill is the multi-talented Reggie Watts. Hopefully you have a ticket for that one though, because that is actually one of the two Bell House shows that is already sold out. Four of them, including the one Yo La Tengo is showing up at, still have tickets though.

You can also now buy a ticket for a comedic CMJ show taking place at Union Hall on Saturday, October 23rd, which also features Reggie Watts:

SAT 10/23: 8pm Doors / $10 ADV / $12 DOS
2010 CMJ Music Marathon
HEART OF DARKNESS: A NIGHT OF FORGIVENESS AND SALVATION
FEATURING COMEDIANS:
GREG BARRIS, REGGIE WATTS, KURT BRAUNOHLER, DAVE HILL AND KRISTEN SCHAAL
Music by The You Are Forgiven Choir featuring Ariel East, Mother of Three and New Beard

Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens and Reggie Watts played a free show in Brooklyn's Fort Greene Park on Tuesday night (9/14). According to David Andrako, the mixing of gospel and comedy worked out wonderfully. A set of pictures from that outdoor event continues below...

Continue reading "Reggie Watts played Fort Greene Park w/ Naomi Shelton (pics), playing Mirman Fest & CMJ (dates) "

Lee Fields at the waterfront (more by Tear n Tan)

The above picture comes from Lee Fields' recent Pool Party shindig with !!!. Lee Fields & The Expressions also opened for the Black Keys at Terminal 5 in the past month. And now comes word that Lee Fields & The Expressions will headline a NYC show, this time at Music Hall of Williamsburg on 11/20 with Charles Bradley & The Menahan Street Band. Members of Antibalas, El Michels Affair, the Dap-Kings and the Budos Band make up the members of both soulful bands. Tickets go on sale Wednesday (9/1) at noon.

The Dap Kings, whose most recent NYC show was a headlining one in Prospect Park, meanwhile will head out on tour with Sharon Jones in September. US and European dates below.

The Budos Band have a few shows coming up too, one of which is the release party for their new album ("The Budos Band III") at Southpaw in Brooklyn on September 18th. Tickets for that show are on sale. All dates below.

And last but not least, Daptone's Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens can still be found at Fat Cat every Friday night, and have some upcoming tour dates including Pop Montreal in October. All dates for everyone, below...

Continue reading "Lee Fields & Charles Bradley schedule a show, Sharon Jones leaving on tour, Budos Band & Naomi Shelton dates too"

DOWNLOAD: Sharon Van Etten - Love More (MP3)

Margaret Cho, Reggie Watts, Jesse Baylin & Sarah Jarosz @ Bonnaroo (Bob I Am)

Though we already mentioned Sharon Van Etten's new record, and two upcoming NYC shows, there are more details out on both of those gigs. The first, August 2nd (tonight) at the Rock Shop, is the grand opening of the venue (co-presented by BrooklynVegan) and features a now-announced guest. Opening will be folkie Portland, ME band Lady Lamb the Beekeeper. Tickets are on sale.

Sharon's other NYC show (currently the only one before a September tour with Marissa Nadler) is August 7th at Bushwick Starr. Also on the bill for that are Springs aka Mike Visser, who has shows with Dr. Dog's Scott McMicken coming up, and Comedy Central Records comedian Reggie Watts.

Reggie Watts will also be performing in Fort Greene Park on Tuesday, September 14th with Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens. The free show is the 2nd in a series curated by Other Music. The first happens August 10th in the same location with Dam-Funk and DJ Spinna. Flyer below.

Speaking of comedy (and there's more recent funny news here), Tracy Morgan will be doing two nights of stand up at Apollo Theater on September 24th and 25th, to be taped for his debut HBO special Tracy Morgan: Black And Blue. Tickets are on sale. He writes that "The special is going to be all the elements: fire, water, earth, air, the comedy bender, the Avatar of comedy experience."

Back to music, Sharon Van Etten recently sat down for a La Blogotheque session. Those videos and all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Sharon Van Etten, Reggie Watts, Dam-Funk, Tracy Morgan..."

Hudson Square Fest 2009 (more by Andrew Frisicano)

City Winery will be hosting the second annual Hudson Square Music & Wine Festival, free Tuesday night music in its parking lot/courtyard. The first of those is tonight (June 29th) with Al Kooper Rockabilly Trio. Music starts at 5pm and ends by 7pm, and the series runs through August 10th.

The full schedule, which includes Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens and Bajah & The Dry Eye Crew (and Ed Kowalczyk of Live), is posted below...

Continue reading "Hudson Square Fest kicks off (free Tuesday evening shows)"

Pop Montreal 2009 (more by Ryan Muir)

POP Montreal, sort of like the CMJ of Montreal, but less industry-like, returns for the 9th time from September 29th to October 3rd. Check out the sneak peak of their intial lineup below...

Continue reading "Pop Montreal 2010 dates & initial lineup - includes SWANS"

Music on the Oval w/ Kaki King in '09 (more by Tim Griffin)

Music on the Oval, another free series of NYC shows, happens this summer every Wednesday night from June 16-July 21 at Stuyvesant Town Oval. The shows are at 7pm with a 6pm warm-up DJ set, and are located between 16th and 18th Sts and Avenues A & B (entrance off First Ave and 16th St).

Acts this year include Delorean (the poppy Barcelona dance band with lots of shows this summer), reggae band Easy Star All-Stars (who play every year), soul and funk from Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens and Tony Allen (both at Metrotech Commons/BAM Rhythm & Blues Fest afternoon series too), Juana Molina (who's also appearing at Lincoln Center Out of Doors Festival, and downtown guitar fixture Marc Ribot with his band Los Cubanos Postizos (Marc plays the Stone Thursday, May 6th, with May's co-curator Henry Kaiser - one of the sets includes John Zorn).

The full Stuy Town schedule is below...

Continue reading "free shows in Stuy Town - Music on the Oval's 2010 schedule (includes Delorean, Marc Ribot & more) "

Naomi Shelton celebrating Brooklyn in 2009 (more by Fresh Bread)

BAM Rhythm & Blues Festival brings free afternoon shows to the MetroTech Commons (corner of Flatbush and Myrtle Aves) on Thursdays June 3-August 5 (noon-2pm). The performers this year include Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens, Fela Kuti drummer Tony Allen, Malian guitarist Vieux Farka Touré (who played LPR in April), Bernie Worrell's SociaLybrium (fronted by the Parliament-Funkadelic and Talking Heads keyboardist), Mykal Rose of Black Uhuru, bassist Victor Wooten and more.

The full schedule, with directions, is below...

Continue reading "BAM Rhythm & Blues Festival at MetroTech - 2010 schedule of free Brooklyn shows that happen Thursdays at noon"

Sharon Jones @ Brooklyn Bowl on December 30th (more by Kyle Dean Reinford)

The release date for Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings' new album, I Learned the Hard Way, has been moved up almost a month, from the original May 4th to April 6th. Jones will be dueting on this Saturday's SNL with musical guest Michael Buble (wait, what?). They'll do the song "Baby (You've Got What It Takes)" off Buble's October 2009 album Crazy Love. Sharon also sings on the album version (which I did not realize until now). That song is embedded in a video below.

Sharon's Dap-Tone labelmates Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens will play a Haiti benefit at Knitting Factory Brooklyn on Monday, February 1st. They join the Antibalas-related group Amayo's Fu-Arkist-Ra (which will be bolstered with members of Chico Mann & Fela! cast members), Ikebe Shakedown and DJ Rich Medina. Tickets are on sale. Flyer below...

Continue reading "Sharon Jones duets & playing SNL with... Michael Buble? ++ Naomi Shelton, Fela! cast & others doing Haiti benefit @ KF"

Lee Fields @ Southpaw on December 18th (Alex Darsey)

Lee Fields & The Expressions and Charles Bradley and The Menahan Street Band will be touring Europe this February. After they get back, the two soul bands will play a Music Hall of Williamsburg show on Friday, February 19th. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, January 13th at noon.

Lee headlined a show at Brooklyn's Southpaw on December 18th. A video of him and the band performing "Honey Dove" from that gig is below. He also appeared at Knitting Factory during CMJ with other Daptone artists including the Budos Band, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings (who have a new album on the way and who played Brooklyn Bowl since then), The Menehan Street Band and Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens (who played last night, Jan 11th at Joe's Pub, and who you can always catch at Fat Cat).

The Budos Band are playing at Maxwell's on January 15th (tickets) and Southpaw on January 16th, for a show that also includes the Nouvellas and DJs Chances With Wolves (featuring Mark Ronson) (tickets).

Mark Ronson will also be taking part in Yoko Ono's upcoming gig at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

All tour dates, a video from Lee's December Southpaw gig, a rehearsal clip of Naomi & the Gospel Queens and more are below...

Continue reading "Lee Fields touring w/ Charles Bradley & the Menahan Street Band (dates), Mark Ronson playing w/ Budos Band"

David Byrne @ Bowery Ballroom with Dirty Projectors in Novemeber (more)

tonight in NYC
* Whiplash @ UCB
* Jim Campilongo @ Living Room
* Rev. Vince Anderson @ Union Pool
* David Byrne (lecture) @ The Bell House
* Uri Caine (seminar series) @ The Stone
* Beachniks, The Surprisers @ Bruar Falls
* Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens @ Joe's Pub
* Les Paul Guitar Tribute w/ Jose Feliciano @ Iridium
* Still Life Still, Hermit Thrushes, Elemeno @ Death By Audio
* The Joy Formidable, The Jaguar Club, Ravens & Chimes @ Union Hall
* Jon Irabagon's One-Song Rollins Tribute Trio, Wowz, CSC Funk Band @Zebulon
* Hazmat Modine, One Ring Zero, Las Rubias Del Norte, The Wingdale Community Singers @ Mercury Lounge

David Byrne has a talk at The Bell House on where he'll "present a short video/audio lecture called 'Creation in Reverse,' speaking to the ways that venue and context shape artistic creation, followed by a Q&A." First come, first served.

Whiplash at UCB tonight features comedians Leo Allen, Eugene Mirman (Delocated), Kumail Nanjiani (Jimmy Kimmel Live), Tony Camin (The Marijuana-Logues), Sean Patton & Max Silvestri (Big Terrific).

If you missed UK band The Joy Formidable open for Passion Pit at Terminal 5, you can catch them tonight at Union Hall (with Ravens & Chimes and The Jaguar Club) and Tuesday at Pianos.

Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens, on Daptone Records, are at Joe's Pub tonight. Sharon Jones, also on the label, has a new record on the way.

The regular Monday Les Paul Guitar Tribute at Iridium features guest guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli tonight. For its January 25th edition, Ozzy guitarist Zakk Wylde joins the band. Tickets on sale Tuesday

Mercury Lounge hosts "Barbès Takes Manhattan!" with music from Hazmat Modine, One Ring Zero, Las Rubias Del Norte and The Wingdale Community Singers.

Tuesday night at Mercury Lounge is the Doveman and friends.

Lightspeed Champion celebrated Elvis's 75th birthday by covering and making a video for "Devil In Disguise". Check it out below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Monday?"

photos by Jacob Blickenstaff

Sharon Jones (and fan) & the Dap Kings @ Knitting Factory Brooklyn

Brooklyn venue Southpaw has two Daptone Records-related shows in its future. Lee Fields & The Expressions, whose new album actually came out on Truth & Soul, will return to the club on December 18th for a show with their T&S labelmates Michael Leonhart & The Avramina. Tickets are on sale. The Budos Band play Southpaw on January 16th. Tickets are on sale for that too.

Lee Fields and The Budos Band shared a not-actually-CMJ bill with their Daptone labelmates Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, and The Menehan Street Band at Knitting Factory in Brooklyn on October 23rd. It was a private show that the Brooklyn label set up to showcase its artists while CMJ was in town.

"The headliner, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings along with guitarist Binky Griptite, was truly the anticipation of the night. This frantically dancing and singing queen wasn't afraid to bring the audience on stage or get down and dirty with her sassy self. Bereft of the glitz and glamor of the previous act, Jones was perfectly quaint in her dark jean jacket and slacks. Her voice had more power than anyone that night, and it's no surprise that she is Daptone Records' star. Outrageously genius, Jones and Griptite ripped the stage apart and threw it at the audience with a grin. Good thing this was the kind of audience who knew how to throw it right back." [Performer Blog]

Naomi Shelton and The Gospel Queens (aka the Gospel Queens of Brooklyn) play every Friday night at Fat Cat.

Sharon doesn't have any NYC shows coming up, but she and the Dap Kings are going on a short tour in December which includes a NJ date. Recently the group performed with Phish in California.

She and the Dap Kings will also be appearing on television TONIGHT (11/24). If you've been near the Bedford L in Brooklyn lately, you may have noticed the mural. Dinner With The Band, "A new series from IFC with tasty meals and rocking tunes", is on IFC every Tuesday at 11pm (starting tonight). Set your DVR.

As previously mentioned, chef Sam Mason will cook not-necessarily-vegan meals with guests that include Final Fantasy, Les Savy Fav, Men, Kid Sister, Flosstradamus, Yacht, and... Sharon Jones.

"Dinner With the Band" started as an online show conceived by Darin and Greg Bresnitz, brothers who were both passionate about music and food. (Mr. Mason is still devising ways to get musicians more involved in the kitchen. "I wanted to help, but he didn't let me," said Kid Sister, a Chicago rapper who appears on a coming episode. "He was real in-control.") When the brothers asked Mr. Mason to host in 2006, they "didn't really know who he was," Darin Bresnitz recalled.

Mr. Mason added, "No joke: they Googled 'tattooed hipster chef', and I came up." [NY Times]

The artists that appear on the IFC show play music in addition to cooking. Check out two clips from tonight's Sharon Jones episode, along with more pictures from Knitting Factory, below...

Continue reading "Dinner With The Band on IFC (tonight) w/ Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings + upcoming Daptone shows & Knitting Factory pics"

photos by Ryan Muir

"Daptone Gold is a collection of hits and obscurities, album favorites and unheard exclusives from the Daptone Records catalog. Since first rearing it's head in 2001, Daptone has upheld it's reputation as both a premier source for new raw soulful music and a model for the possibilities of independent music today. With a library of albums and 45's spanning from rhythm and blues to afrobeat, gospel to funk, Daptone has established a sound that is consistently sincere, heavy, and soulful.

As Gabriel Roth (Daptone Records co-owner, engineer and bass player for Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings) sees it, "Over the past decade, a lot of blood and sweat was shed in this little house in Bushwick, and when people experience all these recordings together in a package like this, they are really going to feel what the "Daptone Sound" is all about."

Roth continues, "I'm very proud of this record. It's hard evidence of what the Daptone family has accomplished. I'm also excited to finally have so many of my favorite Daptone cuts, many of which were previously only available on vinyl seven inches, included on a proper album. People should really hear this."

After much heated debate, Daptone has selected and sequenced the tracks that were chosen to represent both the depth and breadth of the Daptone sound. It features some of the most popular songs such as Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings' "Tell Me" and the Budos Band's "Up From the South", alongside some deeper selections such as Lee Fields' "Could Have Been" and Charles Bradley's "The World (Is Going Up In Flames)" which have previously only been released as 45 rpm singles. With the inclusion of unreleased tracks such as Binky Griptite's "A Lover Like Me" and Sharon Jones' version of Gladys Knights' "Giving Up", Daptone Gold promises to be a special addition to the collection of Daptone die-hard fans, as well as a perfect introduction to the label for those who have not yet been experienced. As always, Daptone has made sure that the entire presentation is of a quality and design consistent with the music it contains: decadent gold foil packaging with the Daptone logo prominently embossed across the front, incentives for the vinyl fans, and extensive liner notes." [Daptone Records]

Continue reading "Lee Fields played Pop Montreal (pics), Daptone Records doing CMJ (lineup), releasing Daptone Gold (tracklist)"

photos by Fresh Bread

"...I had been to Celebrate Brooklyn [on July 30, 2009] for a uncharacteristically fair set from Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens and a phenomenal set from Burning Spear. It was probably the first time I'd gone to the Prospect Park Bandshell solo, and I instantly made friends while surrounded by every Jamaican living in the city of New York, all of whom made significant contributions to a cloud laced with delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol that permanently hung over the lawn like the fog in the San Francisco Bay." [Intelligent Rectum]

All the way back on July 30th (the night before All Points West and while Grace Jones was doing her thing in Hammerstein Ballroom), Burning Spear played a free show at the bandshell with Daptone Records recording artist Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens as support. More pictures from that show, the setlist, and a live recording link, below....

Continue reading "Celebrate Brooklyn 2009 is finished this weekend, here are some pics from the Burning Spear & Naomi Shelton show"

FREE SHOW REMINDER: Thursday, July 30, 7:30 P.M. (gates open at 6:30 P.M.) Burning Spear/Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens

photos by Jacob Blickenstaff

Naomi Shelton has been performing for nearly 40 years, but this is her first full-length album. What Have You Done My Brother? showcases her classic gospel style -- timeless, guileless and seemingly effortless -- and is the culmination of her years spent singing in church and New York City soul clubs.

Shelton's voice goes from honey-smooth to gritty and back again. The harmonies of the '60s girl group-esque Gospel Queens affirm and provide a constant over which Shelton is free to improvise. Each track openly speaks of God, but the lyrics could arguably be seen as metaphorical and applicable to anyone. [Chart Attack]

Continue reading "Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens @ Joe's Pub, NYC - pics"

DOWNLOAD: Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens: What Have You Done (MP3)

Sarah Siskind @ Living Room in April (by Chris La Putt)

tonight in NYC
* DANCE
* Zap Mama @ Joe's Pub
* Toadies @ Irving Plaza
* Blacklist @ Home Sweet Home
* Ciam, Bell @ (Le) Poisson Rouge
* Your Nature, Real Estate @ The Annex
* Unwigged & Unplugged @ the Beacon Theater
* BLK JKS, The Present, Popo @ The Bell House
* Kylesa, Wetnurse, The Nolan Gate @ Maxwell's
* Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens @ Joe's Pub
* Keane & the Helio Sequence @ Radio City Music Hall
* Angel ov Death (Jamie Saft & Mike Pride) @ Zebulon
* Lary Seven, Nonhorse: Non-Amoral Confusion/Drone @ The Stone
* Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers @ Rubin Museum of Art
* Cymbals Eat Guitars, Hallelujah The Hills, Ford and Fitzroy @ Southpaw
* Sarah Siskind, Catherine MacLellan, Waz, Kate Havnevik @ The Living Room
* Buru Style, Faith, Hanuman Sextet & John Sinclair, DJ Spirit @ Cake Shop
* Jukebox The Ghost, Jenny Owen Youngs, These United States @ Bowery Ballroom
* A Place To Bury Strangers, Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers, Sisters, Coin Under Tongue @ Pianos

Tonight, the Living Room hosts Sarah Siskind (Bon Iver & Bill Frisell tourmate & collaborator), Kate Havnevik and others. Kate will be joined by Kaki King on drums, Mike Savino (from Tall Tall Trees) on upright bass and Daniel Cho on cello.

Bowery Presents is hosting a big birthday party with five bands at Music Hall of Williamsburg tonight. It's free, but invite only. The birthday party happening at Pianos is open to the public, but costs money.

Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens celebrate the release of their new album, at Joe's Pub tonight.

Zap Mama plays the first of three shows in a row at Joe's Pub tonight.

A video of the Thermals making things with clay on IFC, below...

Continue reading "What's going on Wednesday?"

A performing arts program of BRIC Arts | Media | Bklyn, Celebrate Brooklyn! is one of New York City's longest running, free, outdoor performing arts festivals. Launched in 1979, as a catalyst for a Brooklyn performing arts scene and to bring people back into Prospect Park after years of neglect, Celebrate Brooklyn has been an anchor in the park's revitalization and has become one of the city's foremost summer cultural attractions. Over the course of its history Celebrate Brooklyn has presented over 1,700 artists and ensembles reflective of the borough's diversity, ranging from internationally acclaimed performers to emerging, cutting-edge artists. All Celebrate Brooklyn performances are free. The festival attracts upwards of 250,000 attendees from across New York City to the Prospect Park Bandshell each summer.

Continue reading "Celebrate Brooklyn! 2009 Prospect Park concert schedule "

photos by Jacob Blickenstaff

The Budos Band at Le Poisson Rouge

Dear friends and associates,

We, the Daptone Family, have been completely overwhelmed by the generosity of the community in response to the burglary of our studio. On the night of February 15th, somebody peeled back the iron gate on our front door, broke in, and stole a lot of equipment and instruments from our studio in Bushwick, Brooklyn. The next day I sent a brief email out to about ten friends asking them to keep a eye out for the stolen gear and for any good deals on loaner equipment to get us by for a while. Within a day, my email had been forwarded to people around the world and had been published on the websites of Brooklyn Vegan, Okay Player, Rolling Stone, Billboard, and the NY Times, as well as numerous blogs and recording gear websites. The response has been unbelievable. We have had hundreds of emails back from people offering to donate and loan gear, studio owners offering free studio time, promoters and organizations offering to help set up benefits and donation programs, and individuals offering financial and moral support. We cannot express how much it has meant to us to see how quickly and to what extent the community has offered us support. It is truly inspirational to know how many people out there feel it is important for us to keep doing what we do.

Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens' new full-length record, What Have You Done, My Brother?, will be released by Daptone Records on May 26, 2009.

The rest of Daptone's statement, and more pictures from Thursday's Budos Band show at Le Poisson Rouge in NYC, below...

Continue reading "A Daptone Records theft update, Budos Band pics from LPR "

photos by Natasha Ryan

"Sharon and the band played a mix of their last two albums, several awesome new songs that they are still working on, as well as amazing covers of Sam Cooke and Gladys Night numbers -- "A Change is Gonna Come"! It was the best concert of theirs that I've seen so far.

The opening act, Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens, were tremendous, laying down soulful and energetic spirituals that had us dancing and singing along. It was like the funkiest gospel church service you ever went to with 600 other NYC hipsters.

Then the Dap Kings came on in full force with three backup singers, full horn section, timpani, and five strings players. Holy crap they laid down a powerful sound in that theater!

But of course the true force to be reckoned with was Ms. Sharon Jones herself. She strutted on stage in a shimmery red dress and shiny silver heels -- that that she later discarded because they were getting in the way of her dancing. Sharon gave us an incredible performance lasting nearly two hours straight. Not bad for a woman soon to be 54."
[The Click Heard Around the World]

Keep an eye out for Daptone's stuff. Full list HERE.

More pictures of the headliner from Friday night's show, below...

Continue reading "Sharon Jones played Nokia Theatre, pre-theft, in NYC - pics "

Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens @ BAM (more by Ryan Muir)

Tickets are on sale (@ 10am) for the Bonnie Prince Billy show happening at the Apollo Theater.

Tickets are on sale (@ 10am) for both Flight of the Conchords shows happening at Radio City Music Hall.

Tickets are on sale (@ 10am) for the Lily Allen show happening at Roseland Ballroom.

Tickets are on sale for the Prodigy show happening at Roseland Ballroom.

The Musical Box is performing GENESIS' "A Trick of The Tail" at Nokia Theatre on May 9th and 10th. Tickets are on PRESALE (password = genesis)

Tickets are still on sale for the Neko Case shows happening at Nokia Theatre.

Thursday is playing the Nokia Theatre on March 4th. Tickets are on sale.

Menahan Street Band are opening for Sharon Jones at Nokia Theatre on February 13th. Tickets are still on sale.

Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens are opening for Sharon Jones at Nokia Theatre on February 14th. Tickets are still on sale.

Naomi Shelton also performs every Friday at the Fat Cat for $3.00.

Budos Band are playing (Le) Poisson Rouge on February 26th. Tickets are on sale.

Live Naomi Shelton video below...

Continue reading "Bonnie Prince Billy, Flight of the Conchords, Lily Allen, Prodigy, Sharon Jones, Naomi Shelton & other tickets "

photos by Chris La Putt

Menahan Street Band @ Southpaw

The Budos Band have three NYC shows coming up, one of which is tonight, Thursday November 13th, at SOB's. The second is at BAM Café on December 6th, and the third is December 19th at Mercury Lounge with their Daptone Records labelmate Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens. Naomi also performs every Friday at the Fat Cat. Mercury Lounge tickets are on sale.

In other Daptone news, Sharon Jones recently performed two non-CMJ shows during CMJ week, one of which was an Obama fundraiser, and the other for Perez Hilton. Back in September Sharon and the Dap Kings performed at Austin City Limits (ACL) (the festival), and for ACL the TV show. Look for the latter on PBS.

Last but not least, the latest Daptone/Dap Kings/Budos off-shoot, The Menahan Street Band, performed at Southpaw with the Phenomenal Handclap Band back in October (before CMJ even). They were joined on stage by special guests including Charles Bradley, but not Sharon (she stayed in the audience). More pictures from that show, and all Daptone-tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Budos Band tour dates, Menahan Band pics, Daptone stuff"