Matisyahu
Market Showbox, Seattle, WA
10.16.14
Living an endless mission of self-discovery and never shying from the unbeaten path, Matisyahu continues to find a voice and a purpose in his unusually styled blend of Jewish-centric reggae, rock, and beatboxing hip-hop. Having garnered plenty of attention with his first, and arguably most successful single, “King Without a Crown,” Matisyahu has spent the decade since in a frenzy of creativity, spurring a multitude of studio, live, and remix albums. Taking his latest work, Akeda, to the streets, Matisyahu stopped by the Showbox to give the sold-out crowd a richly uncommon show. And yes, he was “with beard” tonight, if anyone is wondering.
In a live setting, Matisyahu exemplifies depth, with a sound that comes across much harder than you’d expect. This dude beatboxes like a champ, and, accordingly, his rapping has a very crisp delivery. Light on his feet and covering the stage with deliberate steps, Matisyahu dressed a nice-casual in jeans, sneakers, and a black jacket. His eclectic sound style was supported with a touring group of four other band members, with all five staying fairly mum on the chatter until halfway through the set. Still, his music has plenty to say.
Cisco Adler and Radical Something opened the evening. Adler, with strong collaborative ties to Matisyahu, is also the second half of hip-hop duo Shwayze, and had formerly fronted funk-rock band Whitestarr. Radical Something, an independent, fun-loving trio from California, have produced quite a library since their 2011 debut. Essentially a blend of hip-hop and rock, they have found reasonable commercial success, with Hollister and ESPN both taking note. Both groups were a success with the crowd this evening, and will be finishing out the Matisyahu tour together, which wraps up in Florida in mid-November.
Matisyahu Set List:
Star
Black Heart
Broken Car
Champion
King
Surrender
Vow Of Silence
Sick For So Long
Sunshine
Jerusalem
Encore:
Reservoir
One Day
Review by T. Monte
Photos by Sunny Martini
Matisyahu
Radical Something
Cisco Adler
