It is not often that a Jewish musical megastar performs only a short drive from our homes in central Pa. The music and the experience were too much to resist and on Saturday, July 16th tattoos, body piercings, alcohol, rock & roll, tallit, Torah, Havdalah and a hipster wanna be all came together at the AE Pavilion next to Heinz Field in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. You had to see it to believe it, and hear it to believe it. Reggae/rap/rock star Matisyahu was in the house and the house was a rocking. Well after sunset, the Brooklyn orthodox Jew hit the stage with tallis, pais and kippa flying. A collision of cultures united behind the music for the approximately three thousand in attendance. I do not pretend to be a musical savant, but I know a popular cultural event when I see one.
I expected a larger Jewish presence either out of religious curiosity or to represent for our homeboy, but I only saw a few couples at the bar with similar inquisitive faces to mine. I also anticipated a show that highlighted the singer’s messages of holiness and observance but was instead fed a steady diet of drums, guitars and inaudible words. Fortunately my disappointment with the music was balanced by the spectacle of the crowd. You just don’t get this type of show at the Mishler.
While I love the artist’s music and often listen to his CD’s in the car or while exercising, I was happy to leave early at the request of my two companions, who were too exhausted from a day of shopping to enjoy the crowd. Nevertheless, I was glad to have had the experience. Click here to read more about the artist and click here to see some of his videos on our website.