Jewish star plays with Trevor Hall
Perched atop his stool, dressed in black from head to toe, Matisyahu scans the crowd with an eager look in his eyes. It’s a packed house, and the audience is buzzing with energy. To his left sits Trevor Hall, guitar in his lap, a stark contrast in his all-white outfit. On his right is guitarist Adam Weinberg, who will accompany the Jewish artist all throughout his set. After the initial cheers from the crowd die down to little more than a whisper, Matisyahu speaks.
“How’s everybody feeling tonight?” he asks with a smile. The crowd goes wild.
This was only the beginning of the intimate acoustic set that Carolina Productions hosted at the Koger Center for the Arts on Wednesday night. Tickets for the event, which were offered to all USC students with a CarolinaCard, sold out at the Russell House by Tuesday night. But CP also offered tickets at the door, which had some students waiting in line well before the doors opened at 7:30 p.m. When the doors finally did open, an eclectic group of students steadily streamed in, quickly filling up the floor seats before heading up to the balconies. Although many came for different reasons — some fans of Trevor Hall, some of Matisyahu — everyone came to enjoy a personal evening with some of their favorite artists.
“I saw Matisyahu perform a few years ago when he did a set with Phish at Bonnaroo,” said second-year political science student Amy Soukup. “There’s just something electric about his performances. I think it’s really fantastic that he’s got such a catchy, reggae rap sound that has a deeper meaning but is also really fun to listen to.”
Matisyahu, who is a Hasidic Jewish artist, delves into both reggae and rap with roots that reach deep into the realm of spiritually. Best known for songs like “King Without a Crown” and “Youth,” his music has been featured in everywhere from feature films to advertisements for the 2010 Olympics. He has performed at various festivals and venues stretching from the United States to Israel, but Wednesday’s performance was slightly different from many of his previous sets. Accompanied only by two guitarists, special guests Hall and Weinberg, Matisyahu found himself stripped down to simply his most powerful instrument of all — his voice.
He opened the night with “Silence,” filling the auditorium with his melodic yet intense voice that flowed through the microphone and into the ears of the rapt audience members. Although the song began slowly and gently, it quickly transformed into an impromptu beat-boxing show, electrifying the already amped-up crowd. The night continued much in this same spontaneous way, with some songs performed in Hebrew and brief intermissions between each song as the trio decided what to play next.
Although he performed many of his hits, Matisyahu shared the spotlight for much of the evening with Hall, a Hilton Head native who is best known for his deep lyricism and distinct guitar rhythms. Hall played several songs, including fan favorite “The Lime Tree,” which came shortly after he recited a poem that he wrote while spending time in India. Many students came to see this type of performance, including second-year international business student Riley Carithers.
“I’ve been a fan of Trevor Hall for the past two years,” Carithers said. “I’d heard from friends that he does a really good live show, so when I heard he was coming here, I knew that I had to see him.”
Halfway through the set, the pair opened the floor for questions from students. Matisyahu invited students to share their names, hometowns and also their “spiritual” animals as they posed questions about everything ranging from how he selects what color yarmulke to wear (right now he’s digging royal blue) to what obstacles he faces as a Jewish artist in the rap community.
“Growing up in New York, I always listened to artists like Nas, OutKast and a lot of other early ’90s rap. I was also highly influenced by reggae artists like Bob Marley,” he said. “Eventually, I wanted to learn where I came from and about my roots, which is how I developed the sound I have today.”
When asked about his own personal influences, Hall said that he has found inspiration in areas ranging from reggae to poetry.
“A lot of my inspiration comes from artists like Bob Marley and even Matisyahu,” he said. “ However, I’m also highly influenced by a lot of mystic poets like Hafez.”