Meeting MATISYAHU

Meeting MATISYAHU

Here is a blog post of one of Matisyahu's biggest fans:

First of all let me just preempt this entry by saying that I would only have this kind of star studded reaction to only a few people in the entire world. I am not a groupie, ultimate fan or celebrity watcher by any means, but for some reason (and everyone has ONE) there are probably 3 people in the world that I would love to meet -and I MET one of them.

Okay so yes it happened, it truly truly happened.
How it did still evades me.
How the heck I only got one picture of us and it is BLURRY still evades me as well :(
But I digress.....
First of all, the concert itself was amazing! I was standing FRONT AND CENTRE. With my Israeli flag. There is no way I could have gotten a better place to see Matis perform. I won't even mention that the concert was called for 7pm and he didn't get onstage till 10:30pm. I don't like waiting in general(who does)but for him I did.
His vocals, lyrics and talent are truly unbelievable and need to be exerienced in person to really appreciate him for who he is and what he does.
I won't be able to tell you what the crowd was like because I wouldn't look back for a second!


My favorite performance was when he did a slower version of 'Indestructable'.
It was such a blast being able to yell out all the lyrics to all his songs and see that he saw me and acknowledged me doing it. A stranger beside me kept saying throughout the concert, are you sure Matisyahu doesn't know you because he keeps looking at you. (I think it is because he thought I was beautiful LOL).
At one point in the song 'Ancient Lullaby' he stood right infront of me and when he got to the lyrics "I am you, you are me" he pointed at himself and then me and then back to himself!
During the song "Jerusalem" I of course waved my Israeli flag.
His mother in law, and sister in law had previously in the week arranged to meet me after the concert and take me backstage. They very kindly took me backstage to meet him.

We arrived backstage and when he came out he said a few words and then instructed the Rabbi to start as WE DAVENED MARIV TOGETHER!!!!! Then, I met him.
He was very gracious and said that he had seen pictures of me and my children. (through a family friend). He also said that he saw me in the concert at the front.
We exchanged a few words which are personal to me and I don't want to blog about, and then he signed my Matisyahu gear and I very humbly left. By then it was 2 am.

I very hesitantly blog about this due to it being a very special moment for me, but really wanted to share it on some level.

taken from jewcy.

Meet drummer boy

Meet drummer boy

This guy is very good....

Matisyahu - Ancient Lullaby - lyrics

Matisyahu - Youth - Ancient Lullaby

Mist rising
On the horizon
Listening with my ears
Listening with my eyes
Listening till we’re ridding them all from the parasites
Listening till our hearts start to glisten
Realize
Share the vision
Unlock rhythms
And we’ll melt the ice
Start sizzling
Spilling from the ceiling
Prayer drip and drizzling
Close to the broken hearted
Them crushed in spirit
Redeemed the soul of your servant
Seek peace, pursue it
Keep the sparkle in your eye
So you know we’re not gonna die
Life line soul pines for the times
When we’ll stay unified
The eyes of Hashem are to the righteous
And He hears their

Soul Cry
Like an ancient lullaby

Jerusalem breeze
Bringing me ease
From the Brooklyn squeeze
Dirty Babylon
I’ll bring you down to your knees
Dracula, you’re not gonna feed
Leave me be
When they come with their disease
To drag us into the streets

My oil’s still pure
You can’t take that from me
3,000 years until this last century
impossible to break the seal of the High Priest

Branches of the trees
Them bow to these
Swaying to the melodies
Craving for the slaves
To bring redemption please
I am you
You are me
No more leaders
We must lead
We want to see G-d in the enemy

matisyahu dancing with zalman shimon

Matisyahu dancing with zalman shimon at albany

Check out Matisyahu dancing on stage with this other guy (other guy a.k.a. zalman shimon)



Check out this cool poster

Matisyahu - Close My Eyes & King Without Crown

Matisyahu - Close My Eyes & King Without Crown

Remmeber way back when you first saw Matisyahu on Jimmy Kimmel with "Close My Eyes"? later on you found "King Without Crown" on orMusic.com and loved it?

Well, here is a reminder.

Just your average Orthodox Jewish reggae star

Matisyahu: Just your average Orthodox Jewish reggae star

By MICHAEL LISI Special to the Times Union

ALBANY … Matisyahu is arguably the most popular reggae
artist in America. He’s also one of reggae’s most unlikely superstars. He’s a Hasidic singer and rapper who embraces Jewish spirituality in his music, at times singing in Hebrew and taking lyrics from the Torah.

Musically, Matisyahu serves up
an amalgam of dance-hall reggae,
hip-hop, rock and even ska-flavored punk, sung with a slight
Jamaican accent … even though
he’s a one-time Phish fan from
White Plains.

Matisyahu was mesmerizing
Tuesday night at the Washington
Avenue Armory, playing 90 minutes of intense, infectious reggae
and hip-hop that had fans screaming, swaying, dancing and taking
cellphone photos from start to end.

The crowd of about 1,500 was
mostly college-aged, although
there were more than a few teens,
like 13-year-old Josh Fisher, who
saw Matisyahu for the first time.
And yarmulkes were the order of
the night for a noticeable number
of fans, although few were as
outward with their faith as Matisyahu.

Dressed in a black overcoat,
sporting a bushy beard and a kipa,
Matisyahu looked downright odd
fronting a searing five-piece band
that pulsed bass-heavy reggae beats
and grinding, guitar-fueled rock.
But somehow it all fit together,
punctuated by Matisyahu as he
jumped, skipped and swirled
around the stage, moving to the
beat during pounding readings of
“Chop ‘Em Down'’ and “Fire of
Heaven/Altar of Faith,'’ and the
slow reggae groove of “Exaltation.'’

And watching Matisyahu and an
identically dressed male dancer do
a take on a traditional Jewish dance
called the Hora during a wild
version of “Youth'’ was, well, different to say the least. Different but
impossible not to watch, and in
context and done sincerely.


Matisyahu’s sincerity and spirituality elevates him from novelty
act status. Hearing his strong,
soaring tenor sing “We’re all children in the eyes of God'’ during
“Close Your Eyes,'’ you just wanted
to close your eyes and believe it.
Matisyahu isn’t the first to meld
reggae and spirituality … Bob
Marley did it years before Matisyahu was born. But Matisyahu does
it in a way no one else ever has, and
it worked well in Albany on Tuesday night.

State Radio, a hard-hitting Boston-based reggae/ska-punk act, offered up a solid 30-minute performance that sounded somewhat like
a hyped-up cross between The
Police, Pearl Jam and 1980 ska act
Bad Manners. The power trio was
intriguing but loud … obnoxiously
loud. Just because your amp goes to
11 doesn’t mean you have to play at
11.

Moshav, a five-piece jam-band
act from Israel, won some new fans
with a 30-minute set that echoed
Pearl Jam at times. Led by singer
Yehuda Solomon, Moshav mixed it
up, injecting reggae and Middle
Eastern rhythms into their rock,
giving it an edgy ethnic sound that
was hard to resist.

Michael Lisi is a freelance
music critic from Clifton Park and
a frequent contributor to the
Times Union.
MUSIC REVIEW
MATISYAHU with State Radio
and Moshav
When: 7:45 p.m. Tuesday
Where: The Washington Avenue
Armory, Washington Avenue,
Albany
Length: Matisyahu, 90 minutes;
State Radio, 30 minutes; Moshav,
30 minutes
Crowd: A predominantly Jewish, college-aged crowd of about 1,500, out to dance and soak up the
hip-hop reggae sounds of Hasidic reggae star Matisyahu.
Highlights: “Time of Your Song,
“Youth,'’ “Exaltation.'’

Matisyahu live at the Temple Bar Music Centre

Matisyahu live at the Temple Bar Music Centre, May 6th 2006

MATISYAHU SET TO HEADLING MULTIPLE NIGHTS AT NYC

MATISYAHU SET TO HEADLING MULTIPLE NIGHTS AT NYC's HAMMERSTEIN BALLROOM!

"The First Annual Festival of Light" Concert Series

Matisyahu will give his hometown fans a holiday treat this Hannukah when he kicks off "The First Annual Festival of Light" concert series at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. Matisyahu will be joined by his band Roots Tonic and a different special opening act each night on December 16-19.

Matisyahu flies on faith, not roots music ability

Matisyahu flies on faith, not roots music ability

Chicago Sun-Times, Mar 6, 2006 by Brian Orloff

MATISYAHU At the Riviera Theatre

When current young reggae sensation Matisyahu performed Saturday concert at the Riviera, he brought with him a tremendous amount of hype -- and a posse of Hasidic Jews. An orthodox Jew himself, Matisyahu (born Matthew Miller), 26, underlined his faith in his jam- oriented, roots music, which is both a strength and a liability.

Shuffling onstage Saturday night -- well after the Sabbath, of course -- Matisyahu and his three-piece band, Roots Tonic, unveiled more than an hour and a half of spiritually colored though musically homogenous tunes. His set drew frequently from his latest album, "Youth," due in stores Tuesday. While the album is often an enticing affair, boasting dynamic and even innovative arrangements, in concert, Matisyahu sounded nothing like the commanding, vibrant artist many claim he is. Still, fervent fan reaction alone -- and Saturday's captivated audience was diverse in ages and cultures -- speaks volumes.

What is it about Matisyahu that connects with crowds? Perhaps fans relish his earnest professions of devotion. They cannot simply revere him for his stage presence: A listless, often immobile performer, Matisyahu's wooden demeanor hardly would inspire any converts, and Saturday's monotonous set benefitted little from Matisyahu's meek band, a poor sound mix and frequent hiccups in pacing -- a rave-up followed tedious breaks and unnecessary jam sessions.

Now, back to those lyrics: There's no doubting Matisyahu's sincere commitment to Judaism. Onstage, he donned modest garb -- a black hat, long black coat, simple white-collared shirt and black pants -- and upheld traditional Jewish law and practice in both his tour scheduling (no Friday night shows, for instance) and offstage behavior. But generally his lyrics suggest little more than stale platitudes, sentiments universal enough to come from any reggae artist. Consider this nugget from "Fire of Heaven/Alter of Earth," performed midway through the set: "One pair of eyes/ But see two different things/One person cries/But the other one sings."

Interestingly, Matisyahu fused the strongest connection when he specifically invoked Judaism, which he did during many Hebrew chants spliced throughout the show. The purity of his ululating delivery, his earnest articulations of spirituality, translated emotionally, despite language barriers. Understandably worried about being pigeonholed as a novelty act -- "Hey, did you hear the one about the Orthodox Jew reggae star?" -- Matisyahu must delicately balance these winning integrations of tradition with his more generically spiritual and uninteresting poetry.

Though Matisyahu ostensibly possessed the repertoire -- his album includes a flurry of infectious tunes -- and thus the power to transcend novelty-act status, Saturday night he lacked vocal strength and musical adventurism. Even the anthemic "Youth," his latest single, plodded in concert, weighed by a sludgy sound mix and his anemic, rapid-fire delivery. His piercing call to action, "Young man/Control in your hands/Slam your fist on the table/And make your demands," sank beneath a rippling, sirenlike guitar riff, furrowed away beneath a cavalcade of crowd noise and a menacing backbeat.

Impressive as all the noise was at times, applause, like hype, fades. And then what?

MATISYAHU TIME OF YOUR SONG - STREET BALL

MATISYAHU TIME OF YOUR SONG - STREET BALL

Here are two things I like, basketball and Matisyahu's Time of your song. nice video, but for some reason the last 50 seconds are blank.

Festival reviews: Rappin' rabbi pogos into town

Festival reviews: Rappin' rabbi pogos into town

The Independent (London), Aug 24, 2006 by Bob Flynn

In the feverish world of the Fringe, Edinburgh's multitude of venues are crammed with the oddest sights and sounds. But the weirdest of all has to be Matisyahu, the Hebrew name adopted by 27- year-old Matthew Miller from Brooklyn or, as he is commonly known since the success of his album, Youth, the rappin' rabbi.

He could easily be mistaken for yet another vaguely offensive joker in Edinburgh's massed comic ranks but Matisyahu, although not a rabbi, is a genuine ultra-Orthodox Jew who has become America's biggest home-grown reggae star and the world's first Hasidic reggae musician.

Looming over the Liquid Room's stage, with his towering frame, long beard and Orthodox clothing - black homburg, coat and prayer shawl - Matisyahu is an unusual sight. But his strident, New York- Jamaican patois and quick-fire lyrics on "Lord Raise Me Up" and "Jerusalem" are engaging.

There is little doubt that Matisyahu lives and breathes this music, ranging across reggae's lilting rhythms to chugging ska to hip-hop and echoing dubs which evolve into something like a prayer mantra.

As Matisyahu goes into another inspired rap, his long body pogoing across stage to sometimes unintentionally humorous effect, I can't help think that if you remove the culture of the synagogue from the formula you are left with a fairly average white reggae band with a charismatic singer. The jury, as they say in New York, is still out.

Matisyahu - Shake off the Dust...Arise - Aish Tamid - lyrics

The place lays phased like a warrior slayed
Engraved into the space with his sword still raised
Layers of charcoal sprayed through hallways
Praise relays off the walls echoing all ways

Dirt covered earth lays beneath my rib cage
Giving birth to overgrowth invading on to path ways
Burnt out trees cover streets where children once played
Sown seeds decay through sacred stepping stones in disarray
Where the alter used to be placed inter-changed for bloodstains
Sunrays illuminate the smoke filled haze
Trace of incense scents of sacrifice stayed

Chorus:
Aish tamid eternally
A fire burns continuously
Wondering where you been
Won't you come on home to me?

Flash back patches of grass growing wild in fact
Cracked walls burnt black like a kingdom sacked
Memories like artifacts attacked yet still intact
Melodies wrapped in glass and shatter with the impact

Air intermingling ringing with the singing
of songs once sung, hung, flung into the rafters
Catastrophe struck the sound stuck
Disaster plastered
The aftermath a blasted building once standing, like a starved man fasting
the skies expanding clouds passing, dust particles dancing,
in broken bars of light, streaming from a shaft, slashed into the ceiling,
Sshhhh, you could feel the ground breathing.

Chorus

Daughter of Zion is lying crying in the mist
Morning light slips in, shifting through the darkness
Like a morning wife reminisce having visions of her long gone prince
Memories drip rain drops tip towing emptiness
Intermixed with tears like fears left unfixed
Walls worn thin frozen fortress like dawn waiting for the sunrise of a day that got skipped
Like a life gone wrong wandering wilderness
Lovesick stripped abyss empty once luscious

Chorus

Paint the scene so you could see, the city's picking up speed
On a bench 14th street, taxi's streaming yellow streaks
Spears piercing through my ears, you could hear the traffic speak
Jack hammers drill smacking through the cracking concrete
Buildings filled with windowsills spilled tangled telephone wires
Signs sparking neon lights flash like wild fire
My insides rise I start to feel paralyzed
Let out a sigh-a melody blew by- like an ancient war cry
the way the sunlight hit the trees it really caught my eye,
glistening' listening' to the breeze dancing' through the leaves,
freeze, the city move's in slow motion like a dream

I'm left empty like the temple turned into a fox den
Bus fumes dripping spitting into city summer sun
Sifting through the ash dimly lit vision listening
To the hiss lifting off a nighttime ocean
Shim, shim, shimmering singing hair on my skin
Glim, glim. Glimmering, whispering where ya been

From amidst the darkness set sail with the softness
Breeze traveling across the seas arisen from with in Mt. Zion
Wind coming in picking up momentum
Cutting crisply through the thickness riding on a rhythm
A rollercoaster sizzling, twisting down the mountain
ripping rocket ship exploding like a fountain
overflowing spilling through the courtyards of Jerusalem
Uncovering debris lifting up the fallen arisen within
to reach the yiddin even in Manhattan
exposed menorah glowing in the shadows of destruction
trailblazing through affliction
brushing off the branches golden
standing strong flames
dancing like a lion roaring rising out of nothing

(picture taken from community.livejournal.com/matisyahu)

Matisyahu and Roots Tonic - Fire and Heights Jam

Matisyahu and Roots Tonic - Fire and Heights Jam - Funk Box

Brooklyn's beatbox is so brilliant

Brooklyn's beatbox is so brilliant

Evening Standard (London), May 23, 2006 by CHRIS ELWELL-SUTTON

Matisyahu ..... Hammersmith Palais

I MUST admit that I found it hard at first to swallow the notion of an Hasidic Jew in full Orthodox dress singing reggae with a West Indian accent.

But Matisyahu, who has quickly become a huge star in the States, is no novelty act.

The Brooklyn resident, who spent much of his youth performing as a human beatbox in local hip-hop and reggae clubs, loped on stage with the air of serenity and humility one might expect from a deeply religious man, provoking muted cheers as he broke into eerie, ethereal song.

His minor key, high pitch and seriousness made his opening song ironically reminiscent of an Islamic call to prayer.

His versatile three-piece band suddenly picked the pace up and got the packed Palais rocking to the bouncing reggae beat of Time Of Your Song, a track that showed off the range and quality of a sweet, pure voice that wouldn't be out of place on an old Jamaican "lovers' rock" record.

Filling the large stage easily, Matisyahu was extraordinarily mobile for a man of 6'5", spinning round the stage like a dervish, removing his black frock coat when he began to overheat, and leaping atop a huge speaker stack during guitar solos.

The combination of his unique voice, rocky guitar riffs and throbbing dub bass lines kept the crowd moving, although a few tracks had a an air of lazily catchy commercial reggae. More interesting were his tracks that spoke of religious devotion, relating to concepts like Zion and Babylon - staples of Rastafarianinfluenced reggae, but imbued with new meaning in this context.

Particularly effective was Warrior, a meditative track that saw him lament the wanderings of the Jewish people and yearn for the coming of the Messiah, followed by spectacular human beatbox session.

Matisyahu is a brilliant, natural performer.