“Did you go to a schlock-rock live performance?” in Bet Shemesh? ” When I informed a curious good friend that the legendary Jewish rock and roll parody band had reunited for a fortieth anniversary live performance, she was shocked.
“Did they play ‘Achashverosh’?” she requested, referring to Falco’s parody of 1985 Purim’s “Rock Me Amadeus.” When I answered within the affirmative, she expressed her honest remorse that she could not attend the occasion.
For Jewish music lovers of a sure age, schlock-rock performed an necessary function within the improvement of the music.
Led by the legendary Lenny Solomon, the band has carried out greater than 2,000 concert events in all 50 states of the United States, in addition to Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, and Israel.
Over 40 years, Solomon has launched 42 albums crammed together with his distinctive musical parodies aimed toward instructing folks about Jewish traditions and provoking them to attract nearer to God.
As a sign that schlock rock had change into a part of mainstream American tradition by the early ’90s, schlock rock was even the topic of a query within the 1993 National Trivial Pursuit Game: “What musical type did the Jewish group Schlock Rock undertake within the music ‘Yo-Yo Yarmulke’?” The reply is rap.
The venue for concert events and plenty of different cultural occasions in Beit Shemesh is Beit Shemesh Heychar Hatarbat, town’s cultural treasure, tucked away in a nook of Old Beit Shemesh.
Beit Shemesh Cultural Heaven
More than 5 years after its building, Beit Shemesh’s 537-seat auditorium is now an oasis of music, music, and theater for residents of town and surrounding areas who beforehand needed to journey to Tel Aviv or Jerusalem to benefit from the premieres of performs and concert events.
Numerous dramatic productions have graced the phases of the Cultural Hall, together with the Gesher Theatre, the Cameri Theatre, the Habima National Theatre, the Beit Lessin Theatre, and the Haifa Theatre.
The inside is vibrant and glowing, with good visibility, snug seating, clear acoustics, and colourful, enticing lighting. There is a snack bar on the bottom flooring, which is clear and well-maintained in contrast to different public locations within the metropolis.
Miri Shalem, supervisor of Heichal Hatarbut, mentioned round 170 occasions are held there all year long. Although 70% of the viewers are Beit Shemesh residents, many occasions draw audiences from throughout the area, notably Mebaseret Zion, Gash Etzion, and Modi’in.
“Every day we would have an occasion that pulls a sure phase of the inhabitants, Haredim or not. [ultra-Orthodox]English or Russian audio system, mother and father who carry their households to kids’s occasions, or followers of stand-up comedy,” Shalem says, including that there are lots of women-only occasions appropriate for Haredi ladies within the arts.
Since its opening, the middle has attracted a few of Israel’s prime musical expertise, together with Ehud Banai, Yehuda Polikel, Rita, Idan Reichel, and Keren Peres. It additionally hosted worldwide stars comparable to French singer-songwriter Enrico Macias and widespread Greek singer Glykeria.
Over the previous six weeks, my spouse and I’ve attended a wide range of occasions and skilled first-hand the wide range of cultural applications which have broad attraction to Beit Shemesh’s residents and guests.
From Elton John to Ehud Banai
In early December, we loved a nostalgic efficiency celebrating the music of Elton John that includes Israeli-American vocalist Michael Harpas, former member of the group High Five. The viewers was largely English-speaking and nobody would mistake Harpaz for Elton John, however though his glasses have been very eye-catching and harking back to actual rock star glasses, the band did not say “Goodbye.” Performing a variety of Elton John’s hits, together with “Ellow Brick Road,” “Crocodile Rock,” “Daniel,” and “Candle within the Wind,” the efficiency was enthusiastic, entertaining, and enjoyable.
Towards the tip of the month, we headed out on a wet Saturday evening to the aforementioned Schlock Rock fortieth Anniversary Kickoff Concert. In entrance of a near-capacity crowd, Solomon, together with Eitan G (generally known as the “Jewish Rapper”), carried out crowd-pleasing songs comparable to “Abarbanel,” based mostly on the Beach Boys’ hit “Barbara Ann.” “Rashi” is an association of The Association’s 1967 hit music. “Hashem Is One” is taken from the Orleans 1976 commonplace “You’re Still the One.” And one among my private favorites, “Under the Chuppah,” is predicated on the 1964 Drifters basic “Under the Boardwalk.”
Jewish music icon Rabbi Shlomo Katz appeared as a shock visitor and sang a number of songs with Solomon. Solomon and his household made aliyah to Beit Shemesh in 1996, and plenty of of his most ardent followers dwell within the space.
The viewers was primarily made up of English audio system with an analogous demographic to those that attended Elton John’s evening, however their enthusiasm was a lot better as they got here to listen to the soundtrack of their youth. Many have been already accustomed to schlock-rock from their earlier neighborhood performances world wide and have been delighted to have the chance to listen to the band in Israel.
Before the music started, a video was proven that includes congratulatory messages from Hollywood director Saul Brinkoff, cartoonist Elon Gold, and “Weird Al” Yankovic drummer and historian John “Bermuda” Schwartz. Throughout the evening, footage from Solomon’s lengthy profession was projected on massive screens, and schlock-rock CDs have been bought within the outside foyer, giving the night an much more retro really feel.
I observed a whole lot of the viewers singing alongside to nearly each music. Several ladies in our row additionally cheered and danced to the music as Solomon pounded away on his keyboard, backed up by an brisk guitarist, saxophonist, and drummer. “I grew up with this music,” one viewers member mentioned fortunately.
When Solomon carried out “Prayer Jumping,” a parody of Chumbawamba’s 1997 hit “Tab Thumping,” and reached the refrain, “I’ll sit proper down and say ‘Kriyat Shema,’ after which rise up and do the amidah,” many within the crowd stood up and swayed to the music, imitating the actions of a prayer recitation.
The secret to Solomon’s parody success is easy. “The music needs to be very fashionable and instantly recognizable wherever you hear it, in any other case it will be the identical as writing your individual music. It’s on the spot gratification,” he mentioned.
Where Beit Shemesh goes for excellent theater
Just three days later, we visited Heychar Hatarbut once more. This time the viewers, apparently of Israeli origin, watched the play “Freeing Nechama” starring Tzipi Shavit, an Israeli actress, comic and entertainer who has been described by the media because the “First Lady of Israeli Entertainment.” Being blind to British folks, I did not find out about her fame, however when she first appeared on stage, the viewers gave her a thunderous applause.
The play, a mixture of humor and pathos, tells the story of 4 ladies in a medical ward who’re unable to sleep due to a fifth Nechama Cohen who makes noise at evening. When there isn’t a hope of shifting her to a different room, one of many others proposes a considerably controversial answer. After a stormy and emotionally charged ethical debate, the 4 go to sleep and get up within the morning to listen to stunning information.
A number of weeks in the past, we went to see Permitted to All Men on the Beersheba Theatre, a decidedly severe drama a few couple’s sad marriage. The play focuses on a rich husband’s refusal to grant his spouse a spiritual divorce (divorce) and her determined efforts to realize freedom by a spiritual court docket. The viewers sat quietly, absorbed within the gravity of the state of affairs.
We have been once more on the Cultural Center on January 1st to welcome legendary singer Ehud Banai to Beit Shemesh. He walked comfortably and intentionally across the stage, and alongside together with his band, gave a mesmerizing efficiency that mixed his greatest hits with extra up to date songs. The present attracted all kinds of individuals from Beit Shemesh and the encompassing areas.
Beit Shemesh Heychar Hatarbut has seen rising curiosity within the 5 years since its founding, and its multilingual attraction is mirrored in publicity supplies printed in Hebrew, English, and Russian.
Local residents accustomed to the occasional wild happenings at City Hall, simply down the road, can take refuge within the enjoyable occasions held on the Cultural Center.
Heichal Hatarbut Beit Shemesh presents the most effective of escapism.