JEWZAPALOOZA: The Last Three Hours
The final day of the Jewish Music and Heritage Festival was different than the others in that it was held during the daytime and admission was free, which might help explain a much stronger Orthodox presence than at other events.
The “surprise” band scheduled for the 6pm slot was Oi Va Voi, winner of this year’s NJMHF’s first Best Danceable award. Sophie Solomon’s violin playing adds an even greater and dominant dimension to this tight and talented London band live than on the album “Laughter Through Tears.”
At 7pm, Soulfarm took the stage. It is the last day of the festival. It is almost Rosh Hashana. I don’t want to say anything mean. So let’s just say Soulfarm is at least a good wedding band if you are a baales tshuva getting married for your second time, this time to a Jew, so really it’s like your first time from a certain perspective, and you did a lot of weed in your day and sometimes you still do, but usually just motzei Shabbat, and all your friends are really happy that you found your beshert and remark on the mutually complementary gematria of both your names, and the wedding’s in Tsfat.
However, in the off chance that all of these conditions are not met in their entirety, this may not be the band for you. The songs and solos are a bit stretched, boring, and simple. The happy hippy shtick is overdone, even flip. I began to want to hear a band that was serious and intense. I grew hungry, wanting something with meat on it. Instead, I was being served tofu kishke. And yes, I can tell the difference.
But I didn’t have to wait long. It just felt long. Like waiting for the 7th hakafa at the Karlbache shul so I can finally go to bed long.
And then Blackfield took the stage.
Michael Dorf, the festival’s producer, denied there was anything symbolic in Blackfield being chosen as the band to close the festival, but rather “just a way to finish a great day of music.”
Intended or not, Blackfield was a good choice as the festival’s closer. A very good choice.
Aviv Geffen came to the stage and declared, “My name is Aviv Geffen. I am from Israel, and I am a Jew!”
Geffen and his partner in Blackfield, Steven Wilson, from England, played many of the songs from their eponymous album, “Blackfield.” Lush and driving, Blackfield shows Goth influence. Many of the songs turn harder after a verse or two. Geffen is known for dressing flamboyantly, though he did not do so today. On the exquisite song “Pain,” Geffen asks, “Will we ever meet again? As friends? After so long.”
The crowd had changed. It was night. Tobacco smoke filled the air, a sure sign of a decadent element.
In addition to songs from their first album, they played “Epidemic,” to be included on their next one. They closed with “Cloudy Now.”
“We are a fucked generation. It’s getting cloudy now.”