The night was a lyrical/musical victory for Matisyahu and crew. I witnessed several barely pubescent crowd surfers, scores of ‘tweeners and many curious observers from the local Jewish community. Personally, I had seen Matisyahu three times before. All three shows were in 2005 and let me tell you, this guy has upped his game dramatically– and I liked him before. But his vocal delivery and stage presence have exponentially improved and he has become a much more compelling performer. With prodigious natural gifts and a craft which he and his band have honed, this is a show that’s not to be missed.
The first encore was a rap clinic as Matis brought Nosson on-stage to assist. The electro-driven power-funk rapping style was rapid fire as Matis and Nosson traded lyrical barbs. The show closed with a highly spirited King Without A Crown.The music gave way to fuzzy distortion and the band was gone.
The lights came up and we all felt wiser and dare I say, stronger. We had witnessed one of the most important performers of his generation give a rousing and moving performance. Matisyahu is on his way to becoming legendary.
One Response