Dark Was The Night Shines At Radio City Music Hall

Act 2 was equally as grand. Bon Iver brought the crowd to premature tears, as the first few strums of their guitar sent fanatical fans into a state of pure euphoria. Leslie Feist then took the stage. Acoustic with a single spotlight, her set was simple and clean and a perfect transition into the final performer of the night, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings. Sadly, many ushered out of the arena, but it only left all the more dancing room for soul fans. At 53-years-old, Sharon Jones broke down her beats and imitated classic James Brown moves. At first the crowd was shy, but by her last song, everyone was in the aisle attempting to mimic her pulsating rhythms.

The finale was an ode to the Woody Guthrie song "This Land Is Our Land." Initially performed with a single vocal line, Sharon Jones interrupted and transformed the overtly Aryan classic into a funky melody. All standing with arms interwoven, they bowed and shuffled off stage. Like a living room performance of your favorite bands, Dark Was The Night was a sensory explosion of the arts...and all for a good cause.

-- COURTNEY NICHOLS

Previously > You can't read Johnny Weir's sexuality...er Pokerface