Amazing Performance
by Sunshine on 4/17/24One of the best performances I've been to - this guy is the real deal. Soulful heartfelt music.
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Since first emerging on the international stage in 2005, Matisyahu has established a reputation for following his muse—from the stripped-down roots reggae of the gold-certified Live at Stubb’s to the trippy ministrations of Youth to the polished pop eclecticism of Light. Then, in 2010, he returned to the venerable Austin venue that introduced him for Live at Stubb’s II, demonstrating that all those travels had somehow only strengthened his connection to his musical bedrock. It was a whirlwind half-decade journey, one that earned Matisyahu a place in pop culture at large.
And it was only the beginning.
Now based with his family in Los Angeles, Matisyahu blasts off yet again with Spark Seeker, a bold new studio album that finds the one-of-a-kind vocalist and songwriter exploring uncharted territory with help from an expansive cast of collaborators. “My musical tastes are all over the board,” he says in reference to a record that mixes ancient traditional sounds with futuristic electro beats, rapping with singing, songs of the spirit with songs of the body. “And, besides, my music has never been about the outer garment. It’s about searching out inspiration wherever it lies. This album is about seeking that spark within.”
Outer garments, of course, long defined Matisyahu in the eyes of many. “I was the Hasidic reggae superstar,” he says with a knowing laugh. So when Matisyahu took to Twitter in late 2011 to post a picture of himself with his new look, he did it with a certain amount of relief. “It just felt good to sort of restart everything,” he says, adding that the transformation actualized one of the central themes of Spark Seeker: the impermanence of the physical form. “The spark seeker digs for truth and meaning and is willing to let go of everything to find it. He’s honest and authentic with himself and lives life from the inside out. He creates music from the depths and doesn’t worry about what category it or he fits into.”
“We live in a world where people tend to think in extremes and categorize with ultimate statements,” Matisyahu says. “While it’s true that at one point it would’ve been pretty accurate to describe me as Hasidic reggae, for most of my career my music has been a blend, a mixture.”
For Spark Seeker—not just a collection of random tracks, but a complete piece of work made with one producer—Matisyahu spent a year recording with Koool Kojak (Nicki Minaj, Travis Barker, Ke$ha) at the latter’s home studio in L.A. Then the pair went to Israel with an open slate. “We booked a studio there and invited various friends and musicians—including Zohar Fresco, Daniel Zamir, Ravid Kahalani and rapper Shyne—to come and simply play music,” Matisyahu says. “We began to blend all of this live instrumentation to create a unique record, made by multi-faceted human beings who have many sides and many sources of inspiration.”
The result reflects that wide array of voices and experiences. In the hard-hitting “Live Like A Warrior” Matisyahu describes feelings of frustration and desperation, while lead single “Sunshine” rides what might be the most uplifting groove in his catalog; elsewhere, “Searchin’” pairs a gritty digital-dancehall beat with chanted lyrics and “I Believe in Love” exemplifies the album’s deep melodic streak. Throughout Spark Seeker you can hear Matisyahu embodying the album’s title—and embracing its humble promise. The album has a depth to it as well as a lightness, which alludes to the most essential theme of the record--that everything in life, especially music, exists in mixtures and blends. “Things are not as black and white as we would like to think. Not everything can be oversimplified," says Matisyahu.
“This is definitely pushing the boundaries of what I’ve done before,” he acknowledges. “It’s a new kind of record for me.” At this point we’d expect nothing less.
One of the best performances I've been to - this guy is the real deal. Soulful heartfelt music.
I will never pay to see Matisyahu play live ever again. His performance was bad to say the least. Opening bad was awesome! And the venue was absolutely amazing would definitely go back there for a show.
Matisyahu was high energy from the start. I was an amazing night to let our light shine. The sound, security, and venue were great. ☮️ 💗
The show was incredible. Great volume and positive atmosphere made the evening.
Awful show. I really enjoy this guy's music, but the first half of the show was just a politically-charged rant, and then he was too wasted and high to perform anything coherent in the second half. Opening act was generic and only fun part was their cover of a Beastie Boys song. My friend who saw him previously said Matis was way better at a Chicago show, so I guess it's a roll of the dice on which performance you'll get. Don't overpay for tickets, just go if cheap.
Great venue. Amazing show. Matisyahu’s love for music, Israel, and for all humanity was palpable. Not seeing him is a mistake. Go and groove whenever and wherever you can. If you don’t know go to his YouTube channel and chill.
Artist and audience had a great connection. Crowd was into the show.
Big Matisyahu fan but disappointed in show. Did not enjoy the opening act at all. There was an issue with the sound and after about 30 minutes they took a break so that could be figured out. Waited about 10 minutes and left. I don't recall ever leaving a show early before.
This was a very beautiful and emotional experience. Matis displayed pictures of some of the Israeli hostages and spoke on the hope of their release. He highlighted his son's up and coming music career and he even preformed! I was fortunate enough to have met Matis right before the show started so, I couldn't have been happier. He's such a wonderful man. He is a treasure to our world, especially in these turbulent times. He is a wonderful role model for sure!
This is probably the 3rd time I have seen Matisyahu, the last time being easily 10yrs ago. I brought a friend who is big into EDM, but we have a connection with this type of music. MATISYAHU, as I've already told a few ppl since show, was Amazing! The band..Amazing! Sound quality at Paradise was pretty awesome as well! He's just a incredibly talent musician and he delivers a positive message always. I had goosebumps during a cpl of songs. I knew I would like the show, and always listen to him anyway, buy I really wasn't expecting to be as impressed as I was. And my friend..nothing feels better than to introduce a friend to music/artist and just see the smile and utter joy on their face when you look over, and to have them say more than once.."I just can't get over how good they sound!"Fantastic show. I recommend anyone go check them out. Doesn't matter what your "genre"is, if you want to be at a live event and experience everyone in the room on your level and just be so happy to be there. Check Matisyahu out next time they are in your area!