Live: Matisyahu (2/19/16)

February 21, 2016

Date: Friday, February 19th, 2016 @ 8:30pm
Line Up: Matisyahu
Venue: The Neptune Theatre. University District, Seattle, Washington

LIVE: Matisyahu – 2.19.16

Matisyahu recently hit the road again for part 2 of the Live at Stubb’s: Vol III Winter Tour and The Pier was in attendance for the special show in Seattle, Washington with a live broadcast by Melodic Caring Project.

The entire tour has a special quality to it though; the tour is in support of the album, Live at Stubb’s: Vol III, which was recorded 10 years after the original and includes many fan favorites from the first album. The current tour features most of these songs performed live along with a unique set-list each night.

Matisyahu’s set-list from Friday night is somewhat of a mystery, adding to the uniqueness of each night’s performance. Instead of choosing a pre-determined set-list to perform, Matisyahu and his band take an improvisational approach. The band mocked up a “set-list” that included over 40 songs and chose in real-time which songs to play and when throughout the night. The unique mix provided an added excitement to the night with surprise tracks along with unique arrangements of each song, as explained at MatisyahuWorld.com:

“Lyrics are rearranged on the spot to serve the energy of the jam, no instrumentalist is playing simply to demonstrate individual skill, and Keiper’s percussive mastery finds the subtle cracks within Matisyahu’s beat boxing to propel the music beyond anything it’s ever achieved previously.”
– MatisyahuWorld.com

The improv went beyond just the set-list Friday night as fans were treated to rare and exclusive versions of new songs along with new mixes of old popular songs. To do this, Matisyahu brought together a combination of talented musicians to join him on this tour including original Live at Stubb’s guitarist, Aaron Dugan; Dub Trio bassist, Stu Brooks; Tim Keiper on percussion; and newly added on keyboard for part two of the tour, Yuki.

The band blends very well together to provide a custom set-list and song arrangements to old and new songs alike. Fans in attendance expressed their delight and satisfaction with the “jamband” style approach reminiscent of Phish, Gov’t Mule, and The String Cheese Incident. Matisyahu could even be seen multiple times throughout the night step aside to enjoy the improv grooves of his band like the rest of us.

Melodic Caring Project was also in the house, making Friday night’s show extra special for the fans in attendance but especially for fans not in attendance. Melodic Caring Project is a local non-profit organization that brings live and personalized concerts to children in hospitals and sick at home who are unable to get out and attend a live show.

“Unlike other complimentary and alternative medicine (CAM) programs, the MELODIC CARING PROJECT’S model meets a real and pressing need in the market with its new innovative approach offering ease, accessibility and comfort to those suffering from serious illness or injury, especially those quarantined and/or suffering from immunodeficiency.”
– Melodic Caring Project

Friday night’s show kicked off with Matisyahu making the personalized dedication to the patients not in attendance including Rianan, Rose, Justin, Corine, Nya, Zack, Logan, and my 3-year-old nephew, Zachary. The fans in-house and the kids at home were treated to two sets approximately 1-hour each with a short break in between. The first set opened with “Black Heart” and included “Exhaltation”, “Reservoir”, “Surrender” with Matisyahu’s first beat-boxing of the night, and closed out with “Thunder.”

After a quick 15 minute break, the band returned to the stage with the crowd roaring and ready for more. The second set kicked off with a short jam to begin “Lord Raise Me Up” followed by “Confidence”, “Running Away” (Bob Marley cover), and “King Without A Crown” filling up the second set. Matisyahu performed “Jerusalem” to close the second set before being cheered back to the stage for a final encore of “Watch The Walls Melt Down” followed by one last jam improv and beat-box.

Part 2 of the tour continues this weekend with a Sunday show at The Knitting Factory Concert House in Spokane before leaving Washington State for the rest of the West Coast and Southwest. Remaining dates for this tour and future tours can be found inside our Show Locator by clicking HERE!

Matisyahu Set-List:
Reservoir
Watch Walls
Surrender
King
So Hi
Lord
Running Away
Hard Way
Jerusalem
Live Like A Warrior
Sunshine
Close My Eyes
Street Sweep
Weird Fishes
Chop ’em Down
Miracle
Tel Aviv’n
Youth
Bal Shem Tov
WP
Fire of Heaven Altar of Earth
Broken Car
Black Heart
Warrior
One Day
Sick
Searchin
Thunder
Indestructible
Time
Confidence
I Will Be Light
Exaltation
Kodesh

Related Links:
Matisyahu Website
Matisyahu Facebook
Melodic Caring Project Website
Melodic Caring Project Facebook

Article, Photos, and Video By: Eric Schoep
Live Video Stream By: Melodic Caring Project

Watch: Matisyahu – “Jerusalem”