Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings to Play Merriam Theater, 2/13

Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings make their debut performance at the Merriam Theater on Friday, February 13 at 8 p.m. While other artists have ridden the waves of passing fads, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings have bypassed the hype-and-hit superhighway and taken a detour straight to the hearts of their listeners, delivering a visceral rhythm and soul sound to an ever-expanding fan base. There is no other band around today that plays with the rhythm, feeling, or explosive power of the Dap-Kings, there is no other singer that can match the energy and honest soul of Sharon Jones, and there is no other record that embodies this captivating sound better than their latest studio endeavor, Give the People What They Want.

"The hardest part was picking the tunes for the record," says producer Bosco Mann. "I don't think we've ever had a session that was that exciting and productive before. It just seemed like everybody had so many songs and riffs bottled up from being on the road so long. The writing just came naturally, each one of us feeding off each other just like we do on stage. It was a real collaboration and I think that shows on the record. It obviously has all of the hard rhythm and drive that people expect from us - perhaps more - but we've definitely crossed into some uncharted territory. Our songwriting process has definitely blossomed into something pretty amazing, and Sharon never ceases to amaze us with her energy. She seems to sing better and better every day."

From the drop of the needle onto the relentless stomping entrance of Retreat!, the lilting cathartic bounce of the anthemic We Get Along, and the irresistible syncopations of Stranger to My Happiness, straight through to the intoxicating fade out groove of Slow Down, Love, the Dap-Kings have fulfilled the seemingly impossible promise of their own career and brought us the next chapter in what's proving to be an enduring story of a truly prolific band. Simply great music from a great band, because in the end, that's all the people really want.

For Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, 2013 was a year of unforeseen challenges and transformations. Three months before the original scheduled release of the group's highly anticipated fifth studio record, Give the People What They Want, Sharon Jones, the lead singer and matriarch of the worlds' No. 1 live soul act, was diagnosed with cancer. What was projected to be a hectic and exciting year of worldwide touring was quickly taken over by hospital rooms, doctors, and many unknowns. At 57, Jones has lived through her fair share of hardships and heartbreak, but being separated from the stage and her fans has proven to be the most difficult challenge yet.

Thanks to an extremely gifted medical staff, several months of recovery and the infinite love and support from friends, family and fans, Sharon is back, ready to once again join her Dap-Kings as they share their music with people around the globe. "My fans are what kept me fighting, and kept me focused on getting better", Jones says. "Everything I love can be summed up by the moment I get on stage, and start giving the people what they want. That's real love. That's real music."

Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings formed out of the ashes of Desco Records, a fiercely independent label that developed an international underground following for releasing hard funk vinyl in the nineties. After the label's demise in 1999, the family of musicians that populated its roster regrouped to form an all-star band that would become the core of the Daptone Records stable. It was obvious that the new label's first release would be the debut full length of the fiery Sharon Jones. 2002's Dap Dippin' with Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings would prove to be the birth of a juggernaut.

Over the next ten years, the band toured vigorously, crafting electrifying shows that brought packed rooms to rapture, leaving only dropped jaws and sweat drenched dance floors behind them. They continued to record albums and 45's to critical acclaim and public delight, and with each successive release found themselves in bigger and bigger rooms. In 2005, Naturally brought them their first network television performance on Conan O'Brian. In 2007, 100 Days, 100 Nights sold over 100,000 copies in the states alone, a staggering success for an independent release, and in 2010 I Learned the Hard Way debuted at No. 16 on Billboard's Top 200 Album chart outselling its predecessor in only its first few months.

Tremendous success on TV would follow, with the Dap-Kings appearing on The Colbert Report, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Conan, as the house band for Comedy Central's Night of Too Many Stars, and as performers on 2012'sVH-1 Divas.

Tickets are available from $45-$65. Tickets can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999, online at kimmelcenter.org, at the Kimmel Center box office at Broad & Spruce Streets (open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.).