Sitting on a sun-drenched lawn with good friends, good conversation, good tunes, and a bottle of white wine is what summer is all about. But it isn’t generally what music is all about. And, on first glance, it particularly wouldn’t appear to be what Matisyahu’s music is about. So one has to wonder what the Hasidic rapper, a man who seemingly wants, and probably deserves, to be taken seriously, is doing at the Oregon Zoo, performing for this crowd so thoroughly steeped in the accoutrements of secular Western affluence. Even though this setting is nothing if not bucolic - assuming you can get past the distinctive odor of the elephants chilling out back behind the cheap seats - the zoo’s annual summer concert series has “adult contemporary” written all over it. An interesting choice of venue, in short, for a man with a mission.
The night’s opener, Tea Leaf Green, was just about what one would expect for a gig like this: straightforward rock ’n’ roll that sounds like it was lifted directly from late ‘70’s FM radio, which carried some hints of a Wilco influence at certain points if I’m being generous, and perhaps a little more Bryan Adams at others. It was fine, if you happened to have availed yourself of the wine (sold by the bottle) and bento (of which there were three varieties), and were content to sit on the grass enjoying the weather and quality time with your friends and family. If, however, you were genuinely interested in listening to the music, which at many times was difficult to hear over the din of conversation, the experience probably came up a little short.
Matisyahu took the stage a little after 8pm, at which time it was, miraculously for this part of the county, still near 80 degrees, with the sun slowly sinking down behind the West Hills. Any lingering questions about whether the crowd would be indifferent to or even put off by an outspoken Orthodox Jewish reggae rapper – this being a summer concert series, the notion isn’t out of the question – were quickly put to rest by the massive ovation he received when he walked out on the stage. Not surprisingly, the more diehard fans were concentrated at the front of the amphitheater, with families and casual concert goers lingering toward the rear. But even in the back there you could find some considerable enthusiasm, not least amongst those who were apparently not previously familiar with the music.
There was a certain pop culture “moment” circa 2005-06 when Matisyahu was a bona fide sensation, the topic of conversation on every blogger’s tongue. I saw him perform on the main stage at Austin City Limits in ‘06, and the packed crowd at that rather underwhelming performance certainly testified to the wave of popularity he was enjoying at that time. Almost six years on, it’s not unreasonable to question whether Matisyahu’s moment has long passed, whether he’s graduated from “sensation” to mere “novelty.” It was surprising, then, just how good he sounded on Thursday night. He was charismatic, his songs were crisp and energetic, and he was bursting with an infectious enthusiasm. He kept interaction with his audience to a minimum, save for a brief period where he abruptly left the stage to join the crowd below, but he used his band, a basic rock ensemble, to excellent effect. Indeed, apart from Matisyahu’s distinctive vocals, the reggae sound most commonly associated with him was only minimally in evidence. Instead, traces of the Clash, White Zombie, even the Scorpions could be discerned at various points. His rendition of “Youth” in particular emphasized a punk guitar intro, palpably recalling the Clash’s own disaffected youth anthem, “White Riot.” On “Aish Tamid,” the reggae grooves were replaced by a glitchy electronic beat that was entirely uncharacteristic of Matisyahu’s sound, yet worked beautifully.
It wasn’t all rosy. Perhaps as little as 10% of the audience enjoyed a vantage point that might be considered “ideal.” Twice that number couldn’t see the stage at all. But the sound was excellent, and even in the no-view realms at the back of the amphitheater, the sight of parents dancing with children left little doubt that, here too, the experience was a positive one. Matisyahu ended his set to universal applause with “King Without a Crown,” before coming back for an encore of “Temple” and “Jubilation,” separated by an interlude of beatboxing that was as well-received as everything else he did over the course of the evening. He closed with “One Day,” a ballad that epitomizes his religious and political message. With the sun having set, most of the audience on their feet, and the emotive, sing-along chorus, it was the perfect way to impart a final message. On the long, crowded walk out of the zoo, I heard on more than one occasion people singing the chorus to themselves as they moved through the sea of people. Mission accomplished, then, however unlikely it may have seemed at the beginning of the evening.
