Despite being an hour late, my sister and I were among the first to arrive at The Black Cat, the D.C. club where Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings were playing. It was exactly as I had planned it. With me front and center on the stage, Sharon Jones, lead singer of Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, would see me for the pure fan that I am. She would invite me on stage to sing several numbers with her (since I know all the words to every one of her songs and can even do harmony). She might even ask me to show her some of my dance moves.

We might even exchange e-mail addresses, Sharon and me.

My sister and I stood, flush to the stage, waiting for other people, anyone actually other than employees, to arrive and the concert to begin. (I now know that 9 p.m. is really more of a guideline for when you should think about getting ready to go out in D.C.)

I had never seen Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings in concert. I missed her show at Club Cafe in Pittsburgh last fall, but a friend of mine went and said not only was it one of the best concerts she had ever seen but that Sharon Jones hugged everyone in the crowd afterwards. How cool is that? An artist so appreciative of her audience she takes the time to hug every one of them.

But Sharon Jones didn't have Pittsburgh on her touring schedule anytime in the upcoming months. She had several European dates, a few in New York and this one in D.C. And besides, I thought, it might be a fun to meet my sister in D.C.

People finally came and the group The Ambitions took the stage first. One reason I love seeing clubs in bars is the sheer thrill of discovering new artists.

I am now a fan of The Ambitions and I can't wait for their cd to be released. Lead singer, Caz Gardiner, has all the energy and soul of Sharon Jones. She is a new voice and gave one of the most energetic performances I've seen in a while. I loved every song she sang.

According to Gardiner, their cd should be released in the coming months. Check out their site at www.theambitions.com. A better site is their MySpace profile. Here, you can listen to samples of songs and such.

Well, that is enough for today, demanding reader. You're going to have to tune in tomorrow if you want to hear about me dancing on stage with Sharon Jones.