Matisyahu: King Without a Beard

                Matisyahu's appearance has been a hot topic with many of his fans.  When Matisyahu burst on the scene in 2006, many of his fans enjoyed Matisyahu not only for his music’s unique reggae-rap feel but for his orthodox payos and beard that made him a symbol in the Jewish community.  But on November 13 at the Overture Theatre in Madison, Matisyahu showed that his appearance isn’t the only thing he has changed.   Not only has he shaved his trademark beard and Peyos, but his music sounds more like Pop and he sings more than he raps.

                Matisyahu finally waltzed onto the stage after more than a 45-minute intermission and what seemed like 15 minutes of synthesizer and building drum beats which eventually led up to lyrics from “Aish Tamid” from his Live at Stubbs album.  His opening song flowed directly into a version of “Crossroads” which was more subdued than the version on his new album, Spark Seeker.  Throughout the night Matisyahu relied more on the synthesizer, drum beats, and musical effects than on his musical talent.  Don’t get me wrong, there were times during the concert when Matisyahu began to shine.   Matisyahu finally began to show some chutzpah when he performed his newest hit “Sunshine.”  He sang an amazing version of “King Without a Crown” which had a totally different feel than any of his studio versions.  Matisyahu was at his best when he lifted his voice above the other musicians and belted out lyrics that were spiritual and catchy.  He also sang an incredible and deeply spiritual riff about God telling Abraham to kill his son Isaac, which showed he has not completely shed his Jewish roots.  His performance illustrated that Matisyahu’s musical style is still evolving. 

                I would have liked to see more beatboxing and I would have liked to see the energy on November 13 like when I first saw him perform in the summer of 2007.  When I saw him then he sported his Peyos, Beard, and even the black orthodox garb complete with a black hat.   In that show, Matisyahu gave you everything you wanted: he did not stop moving the entire show, he addressed the crowd about his Jewish roots, and wowed the crowd with his beatboxing and freestyle skills.   However, Musicians are rarely static and continue to evolve.  Matisyahu’s music isn’t about pleasing his audience.  His music reflects his beliefs and his spiritual journey.  No great musical artist does the same thing every time they go into the studio or get on stage.  Why should we expect Matisyahu to be the same Orthodox Jew?  Matisyahu is much different now and if you listen to his new album Spark Seeker, you can understand for yourself how much he has changed.

                In the end, we can either like or dislike Matisyahu’s change.  I don’t think it’s fair to expect him not to change because his symbolism was more important than his music.  Matisyahu changes as does any other human being.  If we don’t take the time to listen to or watch Matisyahu’s or another artist’s performance as they evolve and change it’s our loss, not theirs.

               

Academy Awards

Best Motion Picture
While I've not seen all of the movies nominated for this year's Academy Awards Best Picture, here is a rundown of three nominees and which deserves Best Picture.


Moneyball
The Oakland Athletics General Manage Billy Bean (Brad Pitt) is faced with the challenge of losing three young stars to free agency.  Although the team played well enough to get into the playoffs the season before, due to the small market and the limited money of the Oakland Athletics, the outlook for next season does not look good.  After meeting a young Yale graduate named Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), Bean decides to take him under his wing and together they come up with a system to build a winning team around undervalued players.  There are many bumps and turns along the road, but in the end Bean and Brand's system succeeds and revolutionizes baseball.  I loved watching this movie.  Brad Pitt does an Amazing job of Portraying a General Manager who has made up his mind on how to run his baseball team.  Bean succeeds because he sticks to his guns despite the doubters which include the team's manager, scouts, and even players.  This is great movie even if you don't like baseball.  But for the baseball fans out there, this movie will provide you with practical knowledge about the game as well as great entertainment.

The Descendants 
Matt King's (George Clooney) wife is in critical condition after a boating accident.  After learning that his wife has had an affair, he sets off with his daughter's to find the man.  Clooney does a great job of portraying a man who's life has changed as result of his wife's condition.  While he is struggling with life, he is also managing a land trust for his extended family.   King's extended family wants him to sell the land to split up the profit between the family.  King must do the right thing for his his immediate family while struggling with the trust, meanwhile the native Hawaiians do not want him to sell.  This movie shows the turmoil in a family faced with a crisis.  Clooney does a great job of portraying a man who is navigating his life under unfortunate circumstances.

Midnight in Paris
Gil (Owen Wilson) and his fiance' Inez (Rachel McAdams) go on a vacation with Inez's rich and conservative parents.  Gil is a successful Hollywood screenwriter but is an aspiring novelist. The couple meets up with Inez's friend Paul who is a pseudo-intellectual who thinks he knows a lot about Paris.  Inez is captivated with Paul.  Meanwhile, Gil and Inez keep moving farther apart as Gil considers moving to Paris and giving up his career in Hollywood. Then one night Gil decides to walk back to his hotel while Inez goes out dancing.  A car pulls up and Gil gets in and is suddenly transported to the 1920's.  He meets up with Cole Porter, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Ernest Hemingway.  Gil goes on a magical journey to the past that is captivating; I wanted to take a trip to Paris after seeing this movie.  I recommend this as a date movie or anyone who wants to see an interesting love story. Owen Wilson is very funny and does a good job of portraying a man who wants to be something he is not.

And the winner is Moneyball!

Miami Burn

When you talk to older adults about sports they generally talk with some nostalgia.  "You know, when I was a kid we didn't need coaches or organized teams.  We just played... For the fun of it."

While these adults may not have coached your son's soccer team, they might have a point.  Travel soccer teams such as the Chicago Magic or Milwaukee F.C. require kids to take on a level of specialization that may take away from development in other areas of the soccer pitch, such as creativity and teamwork.  Not to mention the time and money that a family has to devote in order to support their kid's hobby.  This level of commitment can hurt a kid when he or she fails to live up to their parent's or coach's expectations.  What's even more alarming, is the number of kids that put too many of their eggs in one basket and fail to focus on other areas of their lives.

Consider an ex Chicago Magic soccer player I  played with my freshman year of college.  This guy had a combination of speed and power that was unmatched by most of his teammates.  He looked destined for division 3 greatness until school began.  Then, he floundered like so many kids whose priorities are out of whack due to the current sports culture.

There's a lot of blame to spread around.  Consider Lebron Jame's move to Miami.  Lebron's move to Miami was primarily driven by his urge to win.  While the move remains popular among basketball fans who are enamored with Miami's star potential, I would argue he would have an even greater N.B.A. legacy if he decided to stay with his hometown team.  

 If a child could learn the fundamentals of the game while developing on a local team, wouldn't that teach the child something more important?  Then the child would learn about teamwork   This skill is valuable and transferable to things other than sports... Like a job. Parents should never lose sight of what their children are playing is a game and that the vast majority of children do not become pros.  And burned-out athletes have the tendency of seeking out forms of recreation that are usually more dangerous than heading a soccer ball.