3rp.net Blog

Those of you who weren’t sure if I was insane previously? This post will put you *right* over the edge. So, I was originally going to make some crack about “Matisyahu Religion” in the title of this post, since there have been others, and a theme did seem to be presenting itself. However, I thought better of it. Just the name will work great in this case.

Here’s a Jewish kid from White Plains NY who goes to Israel for a semester in Israel, has some kind of religious experience and eventually becomes a Hasidic Jew who now lives in Brooklyn. Not really all that unusual so far. However, since that clearly wasn’t enough, he’s a musician with an absolutely fantastic voice who mixes Reggae influences with beat-boxing, rap and Hazzan-style Jewish Cantor singing. I know, I know, it sounds crazy (improbable…?), but trust me on this one: it’s fantastic. Click here, go listen. This post will be here when you get back.

This photo is from Bonnaroo this summer. It was Sunday morning, and I was frankly a little bit festivalled-out. Those of you who have been to one of these things will know what I mean. I had seen a lot of acts. I had slept fitfully through lesser-known acts playing at 2am to nearly empty tents. It was bloody HOT.

Sunday morning, it had finally cooled off…and was drizzling. Festivals like Bonnaroo are a constant struggle of choices, and Stacy and I had decided we would see Matisyahu at one of the smaller tents. Perhaps the smallest tent. All of the performers with the exception of Tom Petty and Radiohead spent 45 minutes each at this tent whose name I cannot now remember (”purgatory for the not yet arrived” I think is the subtext there). Anyway. It was drizzling, and Matisyahu was late. Or maybe we were early, I’m not sure. All I know is that the available space in front of this performing area was absolutely packed with dirty (I haven’t showered in three days) hippies long before he was scheduled to go on. Shifting left foot, right foot, waiting in the drizzle. For the beat-boxing Hasidic Jew Reggae rockstar from Brooklyn. Oy.

He was introduced. He came on stage. He introduced his guitar player.

He then proceeded to ask for a bottle of juice so he could say a blessing. OK. Says his blessing…morphs into a cantor’s prayer song…morphs into beat boxing…and all of a sudden I’m forgetting where I am.

Come back for another visit, part two is coming later this week.