Date/Time
Date(s) - October 19, 2023
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Location
Buskirk-Chumley Theater
Categories No Categories
Like only the most gifted storytellers, Matisyahu spins the rare kind of stories that simultaneously enlighten and enthrall and expand the audience’s sense of possibility. On his eponymous new album, the Grammy Award-nominated singer/songwriter/rapper shares his most autobiographical work to date, merging that personal revelation with a shapeshifting collision of reggae and hip-hop and boldly inventive pop. Produced by Salt Cathedral (a Brooklyn-based duo comprised of Colombian musicians Juliana Ronderos and Nicolas Losada), the result is an undeniably transformative album, one that invites both intense introspection and unbridled celebration.
“Throughout my life so much of my music has come from struggling with a sort of existential loneliness, even though a lot of the music is very joyful,” says Matisyahu. “I ended up in a place where I’ve found the person who’s my soulmate and made a beautiful life with her, and that’s the place where this record was born.”
The seventh studio album from the New York artist, Matisyahu arrives as the latest achievement in an extraordinary career that’s included landing a #1 hit on alternative rock radio (with his Billboard Hot 100-charting breakthrough single “King Without a Crown”), collaborating with the likes of reggae legends Sly and Robbie, and amassing a global following largely on the strength of his transcendent live show. In bringing the album to life, Ronderos and Losada joined Matisyahu at his former home on the Hudson River in Nyack, where the three musicians soon immersed themselves in an unfettered and improvisation-fueled creative process. “Working with Juli was the first time I’ve ever had a female producer, and it influenced the record in an amazing way,” says Matisyahu, who first collaborated with Salt Cathedral on his 2016 EP Release the Bound. “I felt free to bring more sensitivity or sensuality to my vocals, and really explore the subtleties of my voice.”
Rooted in a lushly detailed yet minimalist sound, Matisyahu sheds light on the shadowy complexities of his psyche while endlessly radiating a euphoric energy. On the album’s dancehall-infused lead single “Chameleon,” for instance, he presents a potent piece of self-reflection spiked with equal parts idiosyncratic wordplay and warmly expressed wisdom (“Turn an evil eye inverted to let the light in/Illuminate the evil till dem heart get sizzlin’”). “There are some people who are like a rock, who never change, but I’ve always been able to shed my skin to fit with whatever I wanted to be part of,” says Matisyahu of the song’s origins. In a perfect counterpart to its kaleidoscopic rhythms and otherworldly textures, “Chameleon” also features a spellbinding guest verse from Ronderos, who adds her own rapturous perspective.
Adam Weinberg is opening the show!
Adam Weinberg started music career as a solo instrumental guitarist and independent film scorer. His first record, On the Seventh Year, featured a selection of melodies inspired by Jewish prayer arranged for solo guitar. Music from the record was performed with the renowned percussionist Cyro Baptista (Paul Simon, Trey Anastasio, John Zorn) and was featured in the award winning documentary Unsettled. Adam spent more than five years touring with artist Matisyahu for the singer’s acoustic performances world-wide. Adam’s playing with Matisyahu was noted for its inventive arrangements of traditionally simple reggae tunes.
Adam’s upcoming release Laugh, Cry, Grief, Hope (out May 13 on Regime Music Group) will be Adam’s first lyrical album. Nearly all the songs were written in late 2019 and early 2020 during a difficult six month stretch of life that inspired Adam to begin experimenting with serious lyric writing for the first time in his career. The finished product is an acoustic-band-driven exploration of loss, healing, and a genuine search for joy.
Adam also wears several other hats in the music industry. Most notably – as part of Gelb Productions – Adam has been the VP of marketing and touring for famed tenor Andrea Bocelli for more than 17 years, handling everything from tour routing, marketing, artist relations, and production assistance. During Adam’s time with Gelb Productions, Andrea Bocelli has become one of the highest grossing artists world-wide. Adam also received personal recognition for Andrea Bocelli’s first ever #1 Billboard album “Si” by executing the bundle program which put the record into the hands of hundreds-of-thousands of Bocelli
concert goers. Adam also co-produced a number of acclaimed PBS concert television specials including the beloved Hit Man: David Foster & Friends, which became the station’s most successful pledge event in history.
Lastly, in addition to completing Laugh, Cry, Grief, Hope during the pandemic, Adam founded and built a new artist teaching and promotional platform at melophy.com. The site prides itself on providing artists with a fully integrated intuitive platform that organizes calendars, live lessons, automatic payments, and multi-camera technology, all while promoting the artists’ music. With no need for Zoom or third-party sites, Melophy provides each artist and student with all the necessary functionality in one place.
