Matisyahu | Dancehall February 28, 2010

BAMP Project proudly presents....

Matisyahu

February 27, 5pm
Lahaina Civic Center
Lahaina , HI

On sale NOW!
GA $25

When Matisyahu emerged in 2004 with his debut album, Shake Off the
Dust...Arise, his musical persona seemed to some a novelty. Here was a
Hasidic Jew -- dressed in a black suit with a broad-brimmed black hat
worn over a yarmulke, and sporting a full, untrimmed beard -- who
nevertheless performed toasting raps about the glories of traditional
Judaism over reggae beats in a dancehall style directly from Jamaica.
Moreover, he punctuated his performances with stage diving. It may have
seemed like a joke at first, but Matisyahu was serious about his craft,
and his diverse style soon garnered Grammy nominations, gold record
certifications, and a broad audience.

Matisyahu was born Matthew Miller on June 30, 1979, in West Chester, PA.
His family moved to Berkeley, CA, which they eventually ditched for
White Plains, NY. Miller initially rebelled against his traditional
Jewish upbringing, considering himself a Deadhead and a hippie by his
early teens. But at the age of 14, during a camping trip in Colorado, he
reconciled himself to Judaism and visited Israel shortly thereafter.
After returning to White Plains, he dropped out of high school and
traveled the country to attend Phish concerts. Back at home again, he
agreed to let his parents send him to a wilderness school in Bend, OR,
where he became enamored of reggae and hip-hop, and began rapping at
open-mic competitions. He returned to New York at 19 to attend the New
School for Social Research in Manhattan, but also joined the Carlebach
Shul, a synagogue where his musical interests were encouraged. Meeting a
Lubavitch rabbi, he became interested in the strict Lubavitch Hasidic
sect of Judaism and renamed himself Matisyahu.

Continuing to perform, Matisyahu assembled a backing band consisting of
guitarist Aaron Dugan, bassist Josh Werner, and drummer Jonah David. The
group recorded Shake Off the Dust...Arise, which was released by JDub
Records in 2004. While touring in support of the album, Matisyahu
recorded one of his February 2005 concerts and released the material as
Live at Stubb's, which was issued in April courtesy of Or Music before
getting picked up for national distribution by Epic Records. Epic
reissued it on August 23, 2005, as Matisyahu toured around the country
and prepared a second studio album with producer Bill Laswell. The final
product, Youth, appeared in March 2006 and was nominated for a Grammy in
the category of Best Reggae Album. A simultaneously released dub version
of the album was made available to mail-order customers.

Meanwhile, Matisyahu's backing musicians chose to release additional
material on their own, adopting the name Roots Tonic for the side
project. Roots Tonic Meets Bill Laswell marked the group's debut in May
2006, and by the end of the year the EP/DVD combo No Place to Be was
also released. Jonah David dropped out of the band in June 2007,
however, and Roots Tonic effectively disbanded, despite the enlistment
of replacement drummer Skoota Warner. The entire group (sans David)
turned its focus back to Matisyahu instead, and Lights marked the
singer's third LP upon its release in August 2009. William Ruhlmann, All
Music Guide

All ages welcome, under 18 accompanied by adult.

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GA $25

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