Matisyahu will light the night at special Hanukkah shows (photo by twi-ny/mdr)
MATISYAHU
Webster Hall, 125 East 11th St., December 10-14, $35, 7:00
Music Hall of Williamsburg, 66 North Sixth St., December 16-20, $35, 7:00
www.matisyahuworld.com
www.websterhall.com
www.musichallofwilliamsburg.com
Hasidic reggae rapper Matisyahu will be celebrating Hanukkah at Webster Hall and the Music Hall of Williamsburg, displaying his unique mix of music and lyrics that marries the classic sounds of Bob Marley to the themes of the Old Testament. Not your ordinary rock star, Matisyahu usually performs wearing his tallit under traditional Orthodox clothing, sings about the messiah leading the Jewish people back to the Holy Land, and no longer stage-dives because a woman might come in physical contact with him, but he still dances around to propulsive, infectious beats that should get a devoted crowd moving and sweating to such standard-bearers as “Youth,” “King Without a Crown,” and “Jerusalem” as well as songs from his most recent album, LIGHT (Epic, August 2009). LIGHT includes “Smash Lies,” a tasty bit of electronica that highlights his positive outlook as he sings, “Dream away / make no mistake / strive to be alive most every day.” No mere preacher, the former Matthew Paul Miller declares on “We Will Walk” that “you are the only one thing that I have ever loved / We will walk until my blood runs out / Until my heart is burned / You are not alone.” And on “One Day,” Matisyahu prays for peace, pronouncing, “Sometimes in my tears I drown / But I never let it get me down / So when negativity surrounds / I know someday it will all turn around.” During the run – and yes, you can expect him to light a menorah onstage – he’ll be joined by such opening bands as John Brown’s Body, Dub Trio, Kid Koala, Travis McCoy, and Kevin Devine.