By Sandi Masori
SOLANA BEACH, California — Live at the Belly Up, for a two-show engagement, is one of music’s more unusual performers. The music itself is not so unusual, mixing reggae, rap, beat boxing and rock in an improvisational and playful style; but the artist himself is. If you saw Matisyahu on the street you may not think much, with his shaggy grey hair and casual attire. But he created a storm when he first came out as an Orthodox Jewish reggae, rapper, beat boxing artist. He seems to have become more secular since his debut in the early 2000s, but the spiritual nature of his music remains.
His songs have titles like “Jerusalem,” “Searching,” “Lord Raise Me Up” and “I Will Be The Light.” which some may think have Christian themes, but they are very much rooted in his Jewish ideology.
My oldest son Shor (22) and I were lucky enough to go to the show as part of JFest, which is the annual Jewish Performing Arts festival happening now. I have to admit that it’s been quite a while since I went to a live concert, especially one in a bar, perhaps even since I was 22 myself. But I had heard about Matisyahu when he originally debuted and was curious to see what he was all about. The show we went to and the one the next night were both completely sold out. The crowd was a mix of ages, and backgrounds. The doors opened at 7 p.m. and the show started at 8 p.m. We got there at 6 p.m. to wait in line to make sure we got a seat, as seating at the Belly Up is first come, first served. The house holds 600 and there are only 200 seats. There seemed to be a lot of grey hair in the crowd and Shor and I wondered if these were fans of Matisyahu from the beginning or if they were patrons of JFest, who like me may have heard of Matisysahu, but were unfamiliar with the music.
There was a short opening act that came on at 8:30 p.m. and then Matisyahu himself took the stage at 9:30 p.m. to raucous cheers. As the evening progressed, and the clock crept closer to the 10:30 mark, the make-up of the crowd definitely seemed to be getting younger as we old-timers hit our bedtimes.
In spite of the late hour, the audience was digging him. He got a great response from an audience that remained engaged and excited throughout. I will say though, it’s hard to experience music for the first time in a live show like that. Not being familiar with all the songs, though I had heard the opening number “Jerusalem” before, it was hard to get the lyrics and melody from the bass and loudness. (G-d I am old, reminds me of when my dad took me to an A-ha concert in the early 80s and had to wear earplugs to cope with the noise, while I as a 13-year old had no problems with it!)
My favorite moment of the show atually came when Matisyahu wasn’t playing. At one point, close to the end of his show, he brought his 16-year-old son Shalom onstage, introduced him, and then gave him the stage to perform his own set. While Shalom was performing, Matisyahu stood off to the side of the stage, lightly conducting him and beaming with pride. That moment of Kvelling was something that I, as a mother, and I’m sure every other parent in the audience, knew well. That feeling of “Wow, this is my kid and look what he can do” is what we parents live for, and what makes all the toddler temper-tantrums and hardship of parenting so worthwhile.
So, while more seasoned concertgoers may extoll his beat-boxing technique, or the improvisational guitar playing by his bandmates, for me, the tender father-son moment was the highlight of the show. I was really happy that I was there with my own son and got to enjoy such a multi-generational experience.
As far as the San Diego Jewish Arts Festival (JFest) goes, this is the second performance that I’ve attended this year. I think that they have done a great job of curating different kinds of experiences and expressions of Jewish art. You may not be familiar with the artists that they showcase, but I think that you’ll find yourself pleasantly surprised and enriched by the experience of trying out what they have to offer. There are still more shows left in the 2023 season of JFest, and a new season is only a year away, so I highly recommend looking into it and supporting them. Here is a link to the JFest website.
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Sandi Masori is a food and theatre reviewer for San Diego Jewish World. When she’s not covering food or theatre, she helps authors self-publish, hangs out with her kids, and searches for the best sushi in town.
Oy. I miss Jfest so much. When the Rep closed, I worried about what would become of it. So, I’m really glad that there was enough independent structure to continue.