An eclectic mix of people descended on Zappa Club in Jerusalem on Tuesday night for the live return of reggae-rock-pop star Matisyahu as yeshiva students and IDF soldiers rubbed shoulders with elderly hippies.Some of those in attendance would not have been old enough to remember the American Jewish singer in his former life as a Chabad hasid. Still, personally, it was the first time I saw him live and the culmination of almost 20 years of listening to his music.
Matisyahu has featured prominently in the news in recent weeks. First, three of the shows on his recently completed tour of the US were canceled - in Tucson, Arizona, Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Chicago – after the venues said they couldn’t guarantee security due to anti-Israel protests planned to be held outside the concerts.
Then, on Sunday, the Diaspora Affairs and Combatting Antisemitism Ministry held an event to honor prominent figures who have taken extraordinary actions to combat antisemitism that has been on the rise since October 7.Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikili said at the event, “Matisyahu lacks nothing in life. He is a gifted musician and singer, and he could have kept his nation and homeland to himself and kept going. He chose otherwise. Matisyahu, like the great Leonard Cohen, came here to uplift the spirit of the IDF troops during the war.”
There weren’t any anti-Israel protests outside the Zappa, only fans grateful that an American performer had come to Israel during wartime. Tuesday’s show was opened by LAIVY, Matisyahu's teenage son. He moves and sounds just like his father and has clearly inherited his musical talent.
Then came over two hours of incredible Jewish dub reggae from Matisyahu, who showed off all his talents with his distinct voice in fine form and plenty of beatboxing thrown in. Opening with live staple “Close My Eyes,” and as the crowd sang along to every word, there was a communal roar as the performer launched into “Jerusalem,” his celebration of Israel’s eternal capital.
Matisyahu's fiery musical journey
Accompanied by old friend and guest saxophonist Daniel Zamir and his talented band, original classics such as “Aish Tamid” and “Lord Raise Me Up” were interspersed with newer additions such as “Live Like A Warrior” and “Lifeline.” There was also a powerful rendition of Matisyahu’s latest single, “Ascent,” released last week of March.
The video for “Ascent” was filmed at the site of the Nova music festival and the Gaza border communities and includes footage from the October 7 massacre.
The emotion in the intimate venue was palpable as Matisyahu frequently referenced the hostages still held in captivity by Hamas, demanding on several occasions, “Bring The Hostages Home!”
With Matisyahu singing his well-known lyrics about values of the Jewish people in Jerusalem itself, to a crowd who have suffered six months of war and national trauma, it seemed as if for a few hours on Tuesday night everything fused together into a world of fire and soul.
As the audience impatiently waited for an encore and began their own rendition of perhaps the singer’s most well-known song worldwide, “One Day,” the singer joined in from behind the curtain before delivering a stunning encore of “One Day” fused with Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry” and a bit of “Adon Olam” thrown in for good measure.
Matisyahu is performing a second night at Zappa in Ganei Yehoshua, Tel Aviv, on Wednesday night, so the question remains: was it worth the wait of nearly 20 years? Answer: Absolutely!
For tickets for Matisyahu’s show in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, visit: https://www.zappa-club.co.il/artist/matisyahu/