As we head into the final week of Black History Month, it only seems fitting to pay tribute to one of the greatest soul and funk record labels of all time: Stax. While admittedly not as infamous as its main rival, Motown, Stax was stacked (say that 5 times fast) with legends in its own right. One such legend was the late great Wilson Pickett, who had his fair share of classic hits during his Stax years, not the least of which was his version of “Land of a Thousand Dances”, which shot to the top of the charts in 1966. It’s an infectious jam to say the least, as evidenced by this shit-hot live performance of the song from 1966. The frenetic energy of the crowd is more than palpable here, so much so that Pickett manages to whip up a mini-moshpit during this rightfully raucous set. Throw in some fans strutting their stuff on stage towards the end of the song, and it all adds up to one manically jubilant experience. Good times! Check it out:
