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 hassid, but for me, personally, it was the first time seeing 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 that were planned to be held outside the concerts.
Then, on Sunday, the Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Ministry held an event to honor prominent figures who have taken extraordinary actions to combat antisemitism, which has been on the rise since October 7.
Speaking at the event, Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikili said, “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 Zappa, only fans grateful that an American performer had come to Israel during wartime.
Tuesday’s show was opened by LAIVY, the teenage son of Matisyahu, who moves and sounds just like his father, and has clearly inherited his musical talent.
Matisyahu's fiery musical journey
Accompanied by old friend and guest Israeli 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. The video for the new song 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 the song fused with Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry” and a bit of “Adon Olam” thrown in for good measure.
So for me, 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/