I’m still surprised that I watched Matisyahu in concert at Ithaca. I haven’t heard about this artist in years. When I was in high school he came out with his major hit called King Without a Crown. This song was major, especially in New York City in 2005.
Matisyahu was extremely popular for two reasons. The first is that his music is dope. The second was that prior to this I’m pretty sure not too many people heard an Orthodox Jewish man sing reggae as if he was born in Kingston.
Being a Jewish man living in Crown Heights Brooklyn, NY prior to his success, the Big Apple found another reason to love his music. Of course I had to attend this concert not only to listen to some dope rhythms but also to represent Brooklyn.
I really didn’t know what to expect from the concert. I had not listened to his music in years and even when I did it was pretty much that one song. I also didn’t take the time to listen to any current music of his. I was surprised to see how entertaining his performance was. Honestly, I only intended to stay for a few songs. I ended up staying for the entire concert, plus the encore performance he gave after the crowd cheered him back on to the stage.
His music has a great sound to it. I can’t forget to shoutout the band that he brought because they were on point. During the solos for drummers and guitarists, Matisyahu would dance around doing what I called “crazy legs.’ I can’t really describe it in words, but he basically jumped around while swinging his long legs. It was fun to watch, I’m not going to lie.
I took some videos, but my phone isn’t letting me upload them. In the meantime, enjoy the photos below.
^^The concert was held at the State Street Theater, which is right across the street from the Ithaca Commons. You must watch a show at this place before you graduate. It’s a beautiful theater. The usher told me that it was opened during the 1920s and originally was a car showroom. The theater tends to bring some low-key big name acts every now and then.
^^This is just a photo of the band that opened up for Matisyahu. I can’t remember the name of the band. They were pretty decent.
Wow, I wish I could have attended this event! It really is so interesting how this man from a completely unlikely background fell in love with reggae and became an artist who fit in with his contemporaries. This really goes to show the power of music and the ability that it has to bring together people from completely different walks of life!