Matisyahu, Park West, Chicago, Illinois

I have seen Jewish reggae singer Matisyahu several times previously and have found his shows to be a bit hit or miss, ranging from a terrible show in Baltimore circa 2008 to an incredible show in San Francisco the following year. The Saturday following Thanksgiving 2013 at Park West would be my fifth set, for which I was looking forward to, though with tempered expectations. We arrived to opening act Kosha Dillz, a Jewish rapper who I’ve seen perform with Matisyahu before, just taking the stage. His set was fine though somewhat forgettable. We secured a good spot that was both fairly close to the stage and the center; it was probably the closest I've ever been for a Matisyahu set.

It was my first time at Park West, which I found to be set up in a somewhat unique manner. As far as I could tell, the entire theatre is general admission but only the area closest to the stage is standing room. Fifty or sixty feet back from the stage are a series of full service tables and chairs. Tables and bar areas cover the floor all the way to the back doors. By the time we arrived, all the tables were occupied though I was pleased to know for future reference that if you’re willing to stand, you’re guaranteed a good spot.

Matisyahu took the stage about ten minutes after 9pm with a guitarist, bassist, and drummer. He was the only vocalist for the majority of the show though Kosha Dillz joined him for a single song.  He had since regrown a beard, but it was a short, modern, stylish beard as compared to his previous long beard and payots (sidecurls). Both his beard and hair were considerably greyer than I remember the last time that I saw him.

Though I couldn’t find the exact setlist, I remember that he played a few of his newer songs towards the beginning of the set. This included “Crossroads,” “Smash Lies,” “Live Like a Warrior,” and “One Day.” Also towards the front of his set was “Jerusalem” which I thought was a bit strange. He also played a good but nearly unrecognizable version of “King Without a Crown,” with a considerably different arrangement.

As it was the fourth night of Chanukah, he brought a menorah on stage about halfway through the set and lit the corresponding number of candles. Though there was little fanfare or comment, the candles stayed lit for most of the rest of the performance.

While I enjoyed the show, it was one of the stranger sets that I’ve seen, with a few unusual elements. At one point in the set he took a running dive off the stage into the crowd, which was barely thick enough to support him. There was no barrier between the audience and the stage, so a few attendees near the front took it upon themselves hop on stage and dive off as well. A few others crowd surfed, but it didn't last too long. At one point in the show, he invited the audience on stage with him. Many people happily obliged in a series of “hey look at me” moments. Without his direct invite, this also occurred during one of the encores as well, which was a bit unnecessary in my opinion.

His main set didn't really last all that long, barely an hour. I was a bit surprised by how short it was, especially considering that the last time I saw him, he played for well over two hours excluding an encore break. He definitely has the material to play much longer. He at least returned to the stage for a pair of songs and again for a second encore, perhaps to give the crowd time to dissipate from their infiltration of the stage. The house lights even came up between the two encores, during which I was halfway out the door before I realized he would return. He had fully wrapped up his show by about 10:35pm, so perhaps a total of 75 minutes of music.