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.
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