Matisyahu

Goldenvoice presents… Matisyahu at the Club Nokia in Los Angeles, California on August 3, 2011

On Wednesday, August 3, Matisyahu played to the nearly packed Club Nokia, located at the LA Live Complex in Los Angeles. His brand of music (a mix of reggae, rock, hip hop, and beat-box) appears to attract a multicultural crowd, young and older. From the looks of it, it was going to be a family friendly show. Upon entering the venue, my first impression was that it was going to perhaps be one of my favorite of places for live music. Apart from the general admission downstairs, it doesn’t look like there is even a bad seat upstairs. On top of that, the sound was great this night. Along with the mostly young adult audience, the parents who brought their kids seemed to enjoy the show as much as their children did.

Following the entrance of his band, Matisyahu sauntered onto the stage to the loud applause of a very enthusiastic audience. He has a humble presence, and yet his silence is not to be mistaken to speculation of a mellow performance. Was quite the opposite, and I was equally impressed with the seemless blend of genres in the music, his beat-boxing, and of his dance moves. In response, a woman behind screamed, “Look at that strut!” to her friends amusement. I would agree… The man did not waste much for small talk, save for the occasional warm thank yous to the crowd. One song flowed into the next, with the dimming down of the lights between songs. At one point, he jumped from a monitor into the awaiting arms of fans in the pit, crowd surfing from one end to the other. Heads and hands bobbed throughout the entire set. Some even found room to dance and pop/lock to the music, along the outskirts of the crowd. Though the show did start some time after the 9:30 set time, Matisyahu and crew still delivered a two hour show and more. With the last song, the singer began pulling fans up, and onto the stage for a last dance. More would follow suit, climbing over the metal barriers until the stage filled up. It was an admirable way to wind down the show. His mannerism leaves no doubt that he is an artist who appreciates his fans… If he is in town, go take in a show. Highly recommended.

Matisyahu’s North America tour continues into September. For dates, see http://matisyahuworld.com/tickets/

More information on music, etc.:

https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/matisyahu

http://www.myspace.com/matisyahu